Hill Voice, 8 September 2020, Gaibandha: Family members of Santal Indigenous community held a press conference at Gobindaganj press club in protest of a conspiracy to seize land belonging to an indigenous family by land grabbers in Birat (Baratta) village of Rajahar union under Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha district.
Joas Murmu, son of late Suruj Murmu of Birat (Baratta) mouza of Rajahar union of the upazila and his family members attended the press conference.
In a written statement on behalf of Joas Murmu, Tara Moni Soren said, 2.56 acres (two acres and sixty-six decimals) of ancestral land in 8 Dags including JL No.-56 RS Khatian: 224, 226, 226, BRS Khatian-770 at Baratta Mouza of Gobindaganj Upazila, have been peacefully cultivating for a long time by Joas Murmu and his family. That is why they have been paying rent and land tax regularly.
But for a long time, Mozammel Haque, son of late Biraj Uddin of Baratta Gomradighi village of Gobindganj upazila, Abdul Mannan, son of late Abdul Quader of Dhanial village, Zakaria, son of Abu Taleb of Chaparapara, Faruk Ahmed, son of Kaiyum Uddin of Chaprapara, Abdul Razzalat, son of Mehraj Ali A. Rahim Mandal, son of Nasir Uddin Mandal of Dhanial village, Abdul Aziz Mandal, Hakim Mandal, son of Azizar Rahman of Chaprapara have been trying to occupy the land by making fake documents. They also threatened to kill them.
Tara Moni Soren said land grabbers often throw sticks, spades, brought iron rods and tried to seize the land of Joas Murmu illegally by showing fear. He fears that land grabbers could seize the land at any time.
Tara Moni added that, “Influential land grabbers are harassing and intimidating us by making false allegations at the police station”. As a result, they are living in insecurity. He sought the intervention of the administration and the Hon’ble Prime Minister to provide security and protect the land.
It is to be mentioned that after filing the case No. 116/2005 in the Gobindganj Senior Assistant Judge’s Court on the land issue, the court issued a decree on 9 August 2011 in favor of Joas Murmu. At the same time, the court rejected the fake documents of the land robbers. Defendants filed an appeal in the Additional District Judge’s Court, 144/11, but the court dismissed it.
