Assam: Protests erupt over proposed Laika resettlement in Tirap forest area

Opposition to the proposed resettlement of Laika Dodhia residents in the Tirap area of Tinsukia district intensified on May 10, with local organisations and residents warning the Assam government against any move that could affect the Tirap Reserved Forest.

 

Several groups from the Tirap-Jagun region under the 83rd Margherita Legislative Assembly constituency expressed concern over what they described as repeated attempts to relocate people from different parts of Assam into the area. They alleged that previous resettlement efforts had already created anxiety among local communities.

 

The All Assam Tangsa Students’ Union (AATSU) strongly criticised the proposal and accused the government of attempting to damage a “century-old reserved forest” in the name of rehabilitation.

 

AATSU central executive committee president Nayung Mossang said the organisation opposed any move to resettle the Laika people inside the Tirap Reserved Forest and urged the BJP-led state government, forest department and district administration to abandon the plan.

 

He warned that if the government proceeded with the proposal, the organisation, along with local residents, would launch “intense democratic protest movements” against the decision.

 

The issue of rehabilitating families displaced from the Laika and Dodhia forest villages has remained contentious for years, with environmental concerns and land rights frequently at the centre of the debate.