Over 40,000 Tribal in North Bengal Protest Displacement by Rly Project

The recent surge in activities for the construction of Sikkim-Bengal Railway corridor, to make the hilly state accessible through Railways, has brought great peril to the lives of over 40,000 tribal residents of 24 settlements in local forests (called bonobasti) that are located in the proposed railway route. In all, there are about 165 bonobastis in the area through which the railway track is supposed to pass of which 24 will be directly affected.

The residents don’t have land rights (pattas), as these were not given to them though officially they were entitled to it. This happened because the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) authorities and the Sikkim Government have showed no inclinination to grant forest land pattas despite the tribals living in the area for centuries.

The Forest Right Act, 2006, provided that such dwellers who have been living and tilling forest land since before 2005 have the right to form a village committee (Gram Sabha) and should be given individual or community land rights.

Lilakumar Gurung, resident of Kopish bonobasti, in a press conference held at Siliguri Press Club said that though the project was first envisaged in 2009, but at that time the then State Government had heeded the tribals’ apprehensions. The earlier GTA administration too had refused to give “No Objection” to the rail line.

“We want the railway line to be built, but not at the cost of our land and livelihood,” Gurung said.

The residents categorically declared their apprehensions at the press conference and warned of bitter consequences if the land patta under the Forest right Act, 2006 is not given to them. It is only after that that the process of rehabilitation can be started and land acquired for construction of the railways line. A majority of the tribals are reportedly categorized as Below Poverty Line.

Talking to Newsclick , Ashok Bhattacharya , Siliguri Mayor, justified the demand of proper rehabilitation of the residents of the bonobastis and said that the Leftists completely thinks that any displacement without rehabilitation will be a crime. He too asserted that the tribals have been settled in the area for decades if not centuries.

“It is due to lack of interest of the GJM and TMC, the ruling Party of the state, that they have not given the land patta under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, which itself is a violation. Furthermore, according to the Railways Project guidelines, the land is to be acquired by the concerned state governments and to be handed over to Railways. If the bonobasti residents are not properly rehabilitated , the onus is on the State Government . We will not let that happen at any cost . Movements will forged by the Leftists and Banbasti residents so that these marginal section of people , gets adequately rehabilitated,” he said.

“Neither we, nor the residents are against the construction of the Bengal Sikkim Rail link , but that should not happen after decimating the thousands of marginal families who reside in the nearby inaccessible forest areas, living at harmony with nature, for decades,” he added.

It can be recalled that the earlier Chairman of the GTA Bimal Gurung , is a proclaimed fugitive after having airing his differences with present TMC regime headed by Mamata Banerjee, and Binay Tamang, a pro-Mamata GJM leader has taken his place, after bifurcating from his parent party, the GJM. It was Binay Tamang , who reportedly sanctioned the move after consulting the West Bengal Chief Minister, forcing the forest residents to move to administrative , judicial and media channels.