ONE MONTH INTO ATTACK ON SANTALS: Santals determined to get their land back

“We will not let go of our right to our ancestral land,” said Bhupen Mardy, resident of Madarpur village, one of the villages affected by the drive. It has been a month since members of police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) evicted more than 2,000 Santal families from 15 villages in the massive Shahebganj-Bagda farm area in Gobindaganj. Some Bangalis loyal to the local lawmaker also took part in the violent attack, looting and burning around 600 houses to the ground. The Santals along with some local Bangalis resisted the eviction drive, which resulted in clashes that killed at least three Santals and injured at least 30 people, including nine policemen. Since the eviction, thousands of Santal families have taken refuge in the neighbouring villages, living in makeshift huts, Bhupen told the Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday. The authorities concerned have yet to take any steps to resolve the situation, he added, frustrated. Martha Tudu, sister of Dijen Tudu, one of the Santals who was severely injured by rubber bullets in the clash and was shown arrested by police while undergoing treatment, reiterated Bhupen’s statement. “Why should we give up our ancestral land when we have already lost three Santal men over it? We are not giving up our rights,” she told the Dhaka Tribune. Martha currently looks after her brother who is being treated at National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital in Dhaka. Dijen was injured in his left eye and has lost his vision. “We do not know if he will get his vision back. The condition of his left eye is affecting his vision in the right eye too,” Martha said. She further said the doctors had said it would take time for his left eye to heal. Dijen and two other Santal men, Bimal Kisku and Charan Soren, were shown arrested in a case filed by police and were put in handcuffs while they were undergoing treatment. The High Court later ordered police to take their handcuffs off. Later, they were granted bail as well. Bimal and Charan are also undergoing treatment at different hospitals. The land in question was originally owned by Santals along with some local Bangalis before then East Pakistan government acquired it in 1962 for Rangpur Sugar Mills Ltd to produce sugarcane. In 2014, it was discovered that the acquisition contract had been violated by the mill authorities. As the contract stated that any violation would transfer the land’s ownership back to the original owners, the Santals and Bangalis built their houses on 100 acres of the 1,842-acre land and started living there in July this year. The victims told the Dhaka Tribune that they had been encouraged to do so by Shakil Ahmed Bulbul, leader of the local unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League who was recently elected as the chairman of Sapmara Union Parishad, which is constituted by the affected villages, and Principal Abul Kalam Azad, Awami League lawmaker from Gobindaganj constituency. But on November 6, these two leaders were actively involved in driving out the Santals from the land, the Santals alleged. Both the leaders have refuted the allegations. Santals living in Madarpur told the Dhaka Tribune that the sugar mill authorities had installed a barbed-wire fence on the Madarpur side of the land. “The other sides are also being guarded by people from the sugar mill and police. There is a police camp too,” said a Santal man, requesting not to be named. The relief given to the affected Santals has also been less than adequate. “The government has provided reliefs twice to only 434 families. We demand compensations and financial supports from the government in addition to being relocated to our ancestral land,” said Philimon Baske, vice-president of Shahebganj-Baghda Farm Bhumi Uddhar Songram Committee. Earlier, Santal leaders told the Dhaka Tribune that local leaders of the ruling party were now threatening them with dire consequences if they did not give up their demands. Jatiya Adivasi Parishad President Rabindranath Saren, on Friday, said around 2,500 evicted families of Shahebganj-Bagda farm area were consistently being threatened by locals who are loyal to MP Azad. However, when contacted, Gobindaganj police station OC Subrata Kumar Sarker claimed the evicted Santals had no problems now. Rabindranath Saren said what happened on November 6 was nothing but “crimes against humanity.” He further said the only solution to the problem was returning the land to the Santals and the Bangalis whose ancestors owned it, as they would not ever agree to be rehabilitated anywhere else.