The authorities of Nahar Tea Garden are trying to evict the Khasia community from their dwellings in order to grab the land, rights activists alleged yesterday.
From a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity, they claimed that the tea garden owners had been spreading falsehood about tension between the tea garden workers and the Khasia people just to evict them from the Aslom and Kylin neighbourhoods under Rajarhat union in Sreemangal of Moulvibazar district.
A civic group, including activists, journalists and researchers, came up with the claim after visiting the Khasia dwellings from November 15 to 16.
On behalf of the group, Rajib Mir, a mass communication and journalism teacher at Jagannath University, read out a written speech highlighting the situation of the Khasia people.
They said the Nahar tea garden was established in 1960 on the 350 hectares of land, from which the Khasia community leased 200 acre to establish Aslom Punji (Khasia settlement) in 1982. The Kylin Punji was later developed beside Aslom. The Khasia people have been paying Tk25,000 every year as revenue to the tea garden authority. However, the garden authority has been forcing them to abandon 20 acres of land every year to expand the tea garden.
They cited Pijush Kanti Bhattacharjee, the manager of the tea garden, as saying to a daily that the land belonged to the garden authority and legal action would be taken to evict the Khasia people.
In the press conference the speakers claimed that the land, which is situated right beside the no man’s land bordering with India, actually belonged to the government. That is why the government intervention was needed.
Moreover, the garden authorities used the incident of May 30 to pit the tea garden workers and Khasia people against each other.
“There is no enmity between the two groups, but the tea garden owner is propagating such falsehood to put the Khasia leaders behind bars. It will make it easier for them to grab the land,” Rajib Mir alleged.
On May 30, a clash broke out between the Nahar Tea Garden workers and the Khasia people leading to the death of Nitai Tanti, who the Khasia community claimed to be an outsider.
Nitai died on June 2 in Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital, reportedly being injured by a slingshot during the clash. Khasia community said the owners were using this to file cases against some of the leaders of the community.
In the press conference, journalist and columnist Syed Abul Moksud said: “When it is a question of either development or environment, we have to stand for environment. Through the incidents, it is clear that the propaganda of tension between the two groups is nothing but to grab land.”
Also present, Convener of Oikya NAP Pankaj Bhattacharjee condemned such conspiracy and criticised the government for failing to protect the rights of minority.
The Khasia community, through the press conference, demanded government investigation into the matter and a legal frame work to ensure their rights and security.
