Assam: CPI(ML) probes land encroachment in Tirap tribal belt, urges government to protect Singpho community rights

A delegation from the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), led by Central Committee member Balindra Saikia and State Committee member Purna Kakoty, conducted a field visit to the Tirap Tribal Belt under the 83rd Margherita Legislative Assembly Constituency in Tinsukia district. The visit focused on the escalating issue of illegal land encroachment affecting the indigenous Singpho community.

During the visit on Monday, the CPI(ML) team held detailed discussions with King Sengam Singpho, chief of Kotha Sema Gam village, and other residents regarding the rampant encroachment of ancestral lands. The village, situated within the Tirap Tribal Belt, comprises nearly 5,000 bighas of land under the stewardship of the Singpho chief. Over time, a significant portion of this land has been reportedly occupied by non-tribal settlers, with the most recent attempted encroachment of 32 bighas thwarted by the community’s resistance.

Saikia expressed serious concern over what he described as the “double standards” of the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Assam government. “While eviction drives are being aggressively pursued in other tribal belts and blocks, the Tirap Tribal Belt continues to be neglected,” he stated.

The CPI(ML) also raised concerns about alleged political involvement in the issue. Referencing an allegedly controversial letter written by local Margherita MLA Bhaskar Sharma to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Saikia claimed that the document—if authentic—could reveal complicity in enabling these land encroachments. Sharma is widely seen as a close ally of the Chief Minister.

“The indifference shown towards the Singpho people is alarming. This government must deliver on its promises to protect the Jati, Mati, and Bheti of Assam’s indigenous people,” Saikia emphasized.

The CPI(ML) team has urged the state government to take the following immediate actions:

Enact and enforce strong legislation to protect land in tribal belts and blocks.

Launch an independent and transparent investigation into the encroachment in the Tirap region.

Grant land rights to indigenous families, those displaced by floods, and others affected by natural calamities.

“The situation calls for urgent intervention to prevent the erosion of cultural identity and livelihood of indigenous communities,” Saikia asserted, noting that the visit served as a clarion call for justice and accountability.

As CPI(ML) continues its advocacy for the marginalized, the party underscored the resilience of the Singpho community and reaffirmed its commitment to the protection of indigenous heritage and land rights across Assam.