Urgent Uprising: Ledo Residents and Assam’s Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti Rally Against NEC CIL’s Devastating Coal Dumping Ground
In a significant show of solidarity, the Satra Mukti Sangram Samity (SMSS), an affiliate of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity, joined residents of Jharna Basti, China Basti, and Malu Village to stage a dharna at Ledo Bazaar on Thursday, August 29. The protest was aimed at Northeastern Coalfields (NEC), a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd (NEC CIL) in Margherita, for allegedly converting residential areas into a coal dumping ground.
Over 2,000 people, including local residents and activists, gathered to voice their discontent. Demonstrators chanted slogans against prominent political figures such as Margherita MLA Bhaskar Sharma, NEC CIL Margherita General Manager K. Mere, Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, and the ruling BJP government at both state and national levels. They accused these leaders of facilitating the eviction of indigenous families from their ancestral lands under the guise of industrial expansion.
Pappu Dutta, President of the SMSS Central Committee, criticized the actions of the BJP-led government. He remarked, “It is deeply unfortunate that under the BJP-led government, at both state and union levels, people are enduring immense suffering. Now, indigenous families who have lived peacefully in Jharna Basti, China Basti, and Malu Village for decades are being forcibly displaced to create a coal dumping ground.”
The protest highlights a growing tension between industrial interests and the rights of indigenous communities in Assam, drawing attention to ongoing issues of forced displacement and land rights.
Original Story https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/video/assam-satra-mukti-sangram-samiti-ledo-residents-protest-against-nec-cils-coal-dumping-ground-1081582-2024-08-29?utm_source=rssfeed
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