Indigenous people seek security of life
Hundreds of indigenous people demonstrated before Godagari UNO office yesterday to press home their six-point demand, including security of their lives and properties in the northern districts.
The indigenous men, women and children under the banner of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad (JAP) staged a sit-in on the UNO office premises for one hour from 11:00am.
They also submitted a memorandum to the ministers of home and land seeking immediate action to protect them from land grabbers and miscreants who are allegedly torturing them in the northern districts.
Other demands include providing settlement of land traditionally occupied and owned by indigenous people to them and cancelling lease of khas land to land grabbers, formation of a land commission and stopping all kinds of oppression and harassment on indigenous people.
JAP President Rabindranath Soren, Workers' Party leader Rafikul Islam Piarul, other JAP leaders Anil Marandi, Bimal Chandra Rajoar and Kolpona Pirki also attended the event.
JAP, in the memo, stated that some 2 lakh indigenous people of 38 ethnic communities, including Santal, Oraon, Munda, Rajoar, and Teli, have been living in distress state as they are gradually losing their land rights.
They alleged that land grabbers with the help of corrupt government officials have been occupying indigenous peoples' land by making fake documents or by launching attacks on them.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments