Assam’s Silsako Beel Evicted Families celebrate ‘Diwali of Sorrow’

Guwahati: More than 200 families evicted from Silsako Beel, a wetland and lake located in the heart Guwahati’s capital, a ‘Diwali of Sorrow’ on Sunday demanding adequate compensation and rehabilitation without any delay.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah joined the celebration at Designated Sachar Dharna Ground, Northeast Now reported.

“A team led by APCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah celebrated Dipawali with the evicted families of Silsako. May the light of Dipawali bring back light into their sorrowful lives & may goddess Kali empower them to keep fighting for their rights,” the Assam Congress wrote posted on X.

@INCAssam team led by APCC President @BhupenKBorah dangoria celebrated Dipawali with the evicted families of Silsako. May the light of Dipawali bring back light into their sorrowful lives & may goddess Kali empower them to keep fighting for their rights 🙏 pic.twitter.com/w61nRWTe0P

— Assam Congress (@INCAssam) November 12, 2023

More than 1,000 families who allegedly encroached Silsako Beel were evicted by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) in a three-phase eviction between May 2022 and September this year.

“Our fight for the cause of the landless and homes people will continue. Let light come to your families and children,” Bora told NeNow.

“People of Assam may not be able to shout out loud in your support but their blessings are with you. They are equally heartbroken as you are and the whole of Assam stands by you in your fight against this injustice and tyranny,” Bora added.

Gayatri Bori, a leader of Silsako Paror Ussed Pratirudhi Raij, said that when the rest of the country is “celebrating Diwali with joy, we are celebrating this ‘Diwali of Sorrow’ by lighting the lamps here”.

“We have been living in this piece of land for more than three decades. We weren’t issued the eviction notice. According to the Assam Land Law, 1989 and 2019, a family has to receive land documents from the government if it dwells in a government plot for more than 15 years,” she was quoted as saying by NeNow.

But the government “has denied the land rights of these indigenous families even as they have been dwelling there for more than 40 to 50 years”, she said.

“Today, we seek the blessing of Maa Kali so that she would pour out her wisdom and knowledge to the leaders of our state and remove evil thoughts and rebellious attitudes from their hearts,” Bori said.

Prominent leaders of the organisation Indu Bora, Bitumoni Das Begum, Nami Halder and Momina Begum were present during the celebration, according to the report.

Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti general secretary Bidyut Saikia and chief organising secretary Akash Doley were also present.