annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
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INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Assam<br />
accept a set of rehabilitation measures on<br />
the ground that the State government did<br />
not fulfill its promise of providing genuine<br />
rehabilitation aid. 65<br />
VII. <strong>Rights</strong> of indigenous peoples<br />
Assam is the land of hundreds of<br />
indigenous peoples who are divided into<br />
two main groups - plain tribes and hill<br />
tribes. Many tribal groups who were<br />
excluded have been demanding <strong>for</strong><br />
inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes. On 21<br />
June 2004, the Assam State Government<br />
<strong>report</strong>edly decided to constitute a Cabinet<br />
sub-committee to expedite the matter of<br />
giving Scheduled Tribe status to six<br />
communities namely Ahom, Matak,<br />
Moran, Tea tribes, Chutia and Koch<br />
Rajbongshis. 66<br />
While addressing the 6th Tiwa<br />
Xahitya Xabha at Amsoi in Nagaon on 1<br />
March 2004, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi<br />
<strong>report</strong>edly stated that all ethnic tribes<br />
would be conferred the 6th schedule<br />
status. 67 At the end of the year, no visible<br />
measure was taken.<br />
The State government <strong>report</strong>edly<br />
failed to fill up the vacancies reserved <strong>for</strong><br />
the indigenous peoples (Scheduled Tribes)<br />
and Scheduled Castes. In the Education<br />
Department, the total number of such<br />
backlog posts in the Secondary Education<br />
section alone was <strong>report</strong>edly 5,099. 68 There<br />
were about 12,352 vacancies <strong>for</strong> ST and<br />
SC candidates in 38 government<br />
departments of the State government. 69<br />
Land alienation and <strong>for</strong>ced evictions<br />
continued to pose serious problems <strong>for</strong> the<br />
indigenous peoples. On 12 May 2004,<br />
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi <strong>report</strong>edly<br />
ordered a probe into the allegation of<br />
handing over of tribal belt land in Dimoria<br />
to non-tribals. Additional Chief Secretary<br />
S Kabilan was asked to conduct the<br />
enquiry. The Chief Minister also ordered<br />
action against the persons responsible <strong>for</strong><br />
handing over of tribal land to non-tribals. 70<br />
The Assam Government <strong>report</strong>edly served<br />
eviction notices to the Dimoria tribals<br />
living in the Kamrup (Metropolitan)<br />
district. Indigenous peoples alleged that<br />
out of the 215 bighas under the occupation<br />
of non-tribal landowners in the Dimoria<br />
tribal belt, the naamjari, title deeds, of 62<br />
bighas, belonging to 12 non-tribal owners,<br />
had been cancelled. But neither the<br />
registration of these 62 bighas was<br />
cancelled nor the non-tribal occupants<br />
were evicted from the land. 71 These<br />
allotments to non-tribals violate the<br />
provisions of the amended Chapter-X of<br />
the Assam Land Revenue Regulation,<br />
1886. 72<br />
The State Government in violation of<br />
chapter X of the Assam Land Revenue<br />
Regulation, 1886 also included five nontribal<br />
persons in the eight-member Land<br />
Advisory Board. 73<br />
Many indigenous peoples in<br />
Karimganj district living in socalled<br />
reserve <strong>for</strong>ests were also served eviction<br />
notices despite the fact that sub-divisional<br />
level advisory committee in its meeting<br />
proposed to issue periodic patta to the<br />
tribal people who are residing in the <strong>for</strong>est<br />
villages. These indigenous peoples were<br />
29