The Sanskriti Anveshak forum of Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture, Guwahati organized a talk cum interactive session on: Tribal Belts and Blocks in Assam: A Review and Present Status on Wednesday, 21 September, 2011 at 5.30 p.m. in the VKIC premises at Uzan Bazar, Guwahati. This was the twelfth one in its on-going series on Land Policy and Land Revenue Systems of Assam. The talk was delivered by Dr Ranoj Pegu, President, River People and President, Mising Mimag Kebang.
In his talk, Dr. Ranoj Pegu presented an overview of the provisions of Tribal Belts & Blocks in Assam -its history, genesis and administration. Belts and Blocks is a product of the colonial policies which had created special provisions for various protected groups including “tribes”. It refers to certain compact areas of Assam predominantly inhabited by ‘tribal’ and other ‘backward’ people notified under Chapter X of the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation (ALRR) Act of 1886 that was amended in 1947 on the basis of the recommendation by a committee headed by Mr. Hockenhull. It was prepared with the ostensible objective of ‘protecting’ land from occupation by other ‘advanced’ groups other than the ‘protected class of people’ -Plains tribals, Hills tribals, tea garden tribals, Santhals, Scheduled Castes and Nepali cultivator graziers. Later indigenous Koch-Rajbongshis of Goalpara, Dhubri, Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon districts were added under this category. It was a misnomer, Dr Pegu said, to use the phrase “tribal belts” because others groups are also involved.
The power and responsibility of implementation of Chapter X was vested with the Revenue Department but the law was never enforced strictly. The unabated influx of immigrants especially from erstwhile East Bengal and consequent marginalisation of tribals has eventually led to strong movements for separate statehood / autonomy since the early 1980s. Even though the various Autonomous Council face criticism for malfunctioning and corruption, its importance in addressing the rights of the tribal people, albeit with accountability, cannot be overlooked, Dr Pegu opined.
Dr. Pegu said that even after more than six decades of India’s independence, protection of land of tribal, backward and indigenous people in Assam, remains an illusion. With the displacement of people every year due to factors like natural calamities, development projects, migration etc., the land crisis in Assam is deepening. This requires serious intervention and replacement of the colonial laws by more contemporary, progressive and comprehensive laws, he said. It is a matter of grave concern that the divisive colonial laws pitted tribals versus non-tribals, the hills versus the plains. These deep divisions not only continue but also serve the interest of immigrants whom the British wanted to settle in Assam for better revenue generation. It is disheartening to see that there is very little change in the original policy, he said. To an extent, areas under BTC are able to stem this tide, but the situation in most other protected areas is volcanic. To mitigate this situation, Dr Pegu suggested that the Protected areas be maximised under Chapter X and that due effort should be made to implement the Clause XI of the Assam Accord.
In his summing up the Moderator, Shri Samudragupta Kashyap, Special Correspondent, The Indian Express for Northeast India, opined that land has been the focal point for social discrepancies and social unrest in contemporary times. He cited examples from his experience where vested interests misuse these laws to serve their interests. It was interesting to note that in Bangladesh there is a strictly-enforced law prohibiting cultivation in or inhabiting char areas, Kashyap said. In view of the demographic changes taking place, the need of the hour is a total review of Chapter X of ALRR through the contemporary standpoint, he opined.
Earlier in the evening, Prof DC Baroowa, Director, Research Advisory Council, welcomed the audience, introduced the guests and apprised the gathering about the background to the series on Land Policy.
