Hundreds of members of the Bodo community staged a protest at Malgaon along the Kokrajhar district border on Sunday, opposing the allotment of Tribal Belt and Block land to the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) and the proposed rehabilitation of 93 evicted Muslim families from Kaimari in the area.
Carrying placards and raising slogans, the protesters demanded that the Assam Government and the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Government withdraw the land allotment, claiming that the move would affect land protected for indigenous tribal communities. The demonstration remained peaceful, with participants insisting that their agitation would continue until their demands were addressed.
According to the protesters, land within the Greater Malgaon Tribal Belt and Block, which has held Tribal Belt and Block status since 1984, has been allocated for APDCL projects and for the rehabilitation of non-tribal families who were evicted from Kaimari. They alleged that such decisions were against the purpose of the Tribal Belt and Block system, which was created to safeguard the land rights of indigenous tribal people.
During the protest, demonstrators held placards and raised slogans including “Protect Tribal Belt Land,” “APDCL Go Back,” “Down with the Assam Government,” “Down with the BTC Government,” and “We will give our blood, but not our land.” They said the protected status of the land should not be changed or used for purposes that could affect the rights and interests of tribal communities.
Members of the Bodo community maintained that Tribal Belt and Block land enjoys constitutional protection and should remain reserved for indigenous tribal residents. They expressed concern that the proposed allotment and rehabilitation plan could weaken these safeguards and change the character of the protected area.
The protesters warned that they would continue their democratic movement until the government withdraws the proposed land allotment to APDCL and the rehabilitation plan for the 93 evicted families. There was no immediate response from the Assam Government, the BTC administration or APDCL regarding the demands raised during the protest.
