Tribal organisations call economic blockade on NH 44

Silchar, Oct 12 (UNI) Barak Valley Tribal Rights Protection Front (BVTRPF) has called an economic blockade on National Highway 44 from October 15 for an indefinite period in protest against alleged harassment of Khasi tribal population and molestation of tribal women in south Assam.

This was announced here today by the functionaries of BVTRPF, which is an umbrella organisation of Barak Valley Khasi Jaintia Welfare Association, Assam Rongmei Naga Students' Union and Assam Dimasa Students' Union.

BVTRPF president Kombi Rongmei said the blockade will start from 0500 hrs at Malidahar in Cachar district near Meghalaya border on the National Highway that connects Silchar with Guwahati. A number of organisations of the region, including Khasi Students' Union (KSU), Shillong, has supported their cause, said Rongmei.

Barak Valley Khasi Jaintia Welfare Association (BVKJWA) general secretary Nesley Shylla alleged that a section of the Forest Department officials in Karimganj district have created a sense of terror among the Khasi tribal population in Bdsahaitilla hamlet of the district by destroying their property and molesting their women over the years.

He alleged that the corrupt officials want to see the Khasi tribal people flee from their ancestral homeland so that they (the forest officials) can cut and smuggle trees freely from the reserve forests.

Shylla said apart from filing FIR with the police, their organisation staged 'dharna' in front of the DC's office at Karimganj and sent memorandum to the Assam Governor and Chief Minister on September 12 last.

Despite giving an ultimatum, demanding the arrest of the accused beat officer Mussarraf Hussain and immediate transfer of Karimganj Divisional Forest Officer Salman Uddin Chaudhary, authorities failed to take any action. This led them to go for further agitation in the form of economic blockade for an indefinite period, he said.

UNI