Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary
2017 Eviction Drive
In November 2017, Assam state police and the Indian Forest Department forcibly removed over 400 families who were living in the sanctuary at the request of the Supreme Court of India. According to state's Environment & Forest Minister Pramila Rani Brahma, the encroachment of settlers on the land has caused the elephants that live there to search for food outside of the sanctuary, causing deaths and destruction of crops in villages around Guwahati.
Police used various methods to disperse protestors of the eviction drive and families living in the sanctuary, including rubber bullets, tear gas, and elephants to destroy illegally built homes. 15 people were allegedly injured during the eviction, although this claim was denied by the then police commissioner of Guwahati.
The incident led to discussions about the rights of the indigenous people many of whom were victims of the forced eviction after being displaced by rampant flooding. Notably, the Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations (CCTO) deemed the evictions "illegal".
References
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- ^ "Over 700 Families Left Homeless After Assam Government's Eviction Drive at Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary". The Wire. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- ^ "Amchang: How thousands were rendered homeless due to 'govt apathy'". EastMojo. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- ^ "400 families evicted from Amchang wildlife sanctuary in Guwahati". The Indian Express. 2017-11-27. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- ^ Safi, Michael; agencies (2017-11-27). "Indian police use elephants to evict illegal settlers". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- ^ Staff Reporter (2017-11-28). "Amchang eviction drive draws flak from activists". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- ^ "The Conservation Discourse in Assam Must Consider a Sustainable Rehabilitation Plan for the Missing Tribe". Economic and Political Weekly: 7–8. 2015-06-05.
- ^ Bagchi, Suvojit (2017-11-29). "12 hour Assam bandh on Wednesday to protest eviction". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2019-05-10.