NHRC: Gobindaganj Santals evicted illegally

“In primary investigation, we have noticed many crimes including murder and arson that took place during the eviction,” he added. A 10-member team consisting of NHRC members, the parliamentary caucus on indigenous issues and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) visited the village yesterday morning. After the visit and interviews with victims from the Santal community, the team spoke to the press at Madarpur village in front of the church. “No one has the right to forcibly evict people. Whether the Santals settled in the sugar farm legally or illegally, their eviction required a court order,” the NHRC chairman said. The Caucus convener Fazle Hossain Badha, members AK Fazlul Haque and Tipu Sultan and technocrat member Prof Mesbah Kamal, NHRC Director (investigation) Sharif Uddin, UNDP Chief Technical Adviser on Human Rights Sharmila Rasul, Taslima Nasrin and Shankar Pal were members of the team. Rezaul Haque said the government’s initiatives for the Santal community were insufficient. The mill authorities could have leased out the land to Santals on a priority basis. It should not have given the land to local influential people,” he said. Earlier the delegation spoke to the Rangpur Sugar Mill authorities and later recorded the interviews of seven evicted villagers, both Santal and Bangali. Asked about their findings, the NHRC chairman said further investigation was required, but there was clear indication of abuse during the eviction. The Santals carried out a procession with bows and arrows and sticks as the delegation left the area, shouting slogans demanding the return of their land.