“We will not sell our land to strangers”: Dhubri’s indigenous community vows to protect ancestral land from outsiders

Hundreds of members of the indigenous Deshi community gathered at Madhushaulmari village in Gauripur for a key meeting of the Deshi Janagosthiya Mancha, Assam (Dhubri District Committee) to discuss pressing concerns over land conservation and cultural preservation.

 

The event highlighted a growing sense of urgency among the community, who fear losing their ancestral land—and with it, their identity. Speakers repeatedly emphasized the mantra, “If there is no land, there is no caste,” underlining the intrinsic link between land ownership and the community’s survival.

 

Community leaders urged Deshi residents to resist selling their land to “strangers,” a term used for non-indigenous buyers perceived as a threat to the community’s demographic and cultural integrity. The Mancha called on the Assam government to ban the sale of indigenous land to non-indigenous individuals, warning that ongoing demographic changes could push the Deshi community toward marginalization or extinction without intervention.

 

The gathering also sharply criticized the state’s anti-land encroachment measures, describing them as a “complete failure” and accusing authorities of failing to safeguard indigenous land rights. The Mancha singled out land brokers within the community, calling them “national enemies” and warning of social ostracism and punitive action against those facilitating the sale of land to outsiders.

 

Additionally, the committee demanded that the government expedite the distribution of land pattas (title deeds) under the Basundhara scheme, which they argue is essential to providing legal security and preventing further illegal acquisition or encroachment of their lands.

 

The Madhushaulmari meeting reflects the Deshi community’s firm resolve to defend their land, culture, and heritage amid demographic pressures and perceived external threats.