Ajmal seeks PM's help to stop eviction drive

GUWAHATI: Upset with the state government's eviction drive in three villages near Kaziranga, the Assam State Jamiat Ulama (ASJU) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking solutions for the landless people and to the protracted problem of doubtful voters in the state.
The ASJU, headed by All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief and MP Badruddin Ajmal, in a letter to the PM recently said many landless people had to settle on 'khas' land (government-owned fallow land) after they were displaced mainly because of flood and erosion.
Ajmal said eviction was not a solution unless there was a proper policy to solve the problem faced by the hapless, landless people, who were forced to occupy khas plots after losing their patta lands in flood and erosion.
"If at all government wants to remove the illegal settlers, it should introduce a uniform and comprehensive policy. Eviction should not be discriminatory and selective. Landless people, who have settled on khas land for many years should not be evicted," Ajmal, who is also the ASJU president, said. "If landless people are evicted, they will look for others areas for encroachment. So there has to be an effective solution so that landless people are properly settled," Ajmal added.
ASJU was critical about the eviction in Palkhowa, Deochurchang and Bandardubi villages near Kaziranga on September 19, alleging that a particular community was targeted in the eviction drive. The state government, however, asserted that action was taken following the Gauhati High Court order and those evicted will be properly compensated.
The ASJU has asked the Centre to solve once and for all the problems of doubtful voters in the state, stating that many people were branded as 'D' voters on flimsy grounds, though they possessed all the required citizenship documents.
Ajmal said about 5 lakh cases of 'D' voters are pending in the state. He added that the figure was about 3.13 lakh between 1995 and 1998.