[Assam] 2nd Attack on Orang National Park

[chittaranjan paTHAK]

With most of the reiverine areas of Assam colonised by people from neighbouring country, last remaining virgin areas like Orang, Burachapori, Kaziranga, Dibrisaikhowa will see more of such attemps. with population increasing, due to natural growthor influx, how long can security forces or forest guards can hold on to these places?Suspected Bangladeshis attack ONP yet again  From our Correspondent
MANGALDAI, May 17:  Forest staff, accompanied by police and security personnel, today evicted over 400 suspected Bangladeshis from the Orang National Park (ONP). The operation was not a hassle-free affair as the security personnel had resorted to firing to disperse the defiant encroachers, seven of whom sustained injuries. Two of the seven injured — Akkel Ali and Nurul Islam — have been admitted to Mangaldai Hospital.
This development came close on the heels of the police and security personnel evicting a large number of suspected Bangladeshis from the national park in the first week of May.
According to sources, on May 16, some ONP staff were prevented by some people from erecting posts in the boundary of the park for construction of fence. The ONP staff continued their job, and they noticed this morning that over 400 suspected Bangladeshis, including women, children, cattle and other livestock, crossed the Brahmaputra from its south bank on country-made engine boats (bhutbhutis) and started to encroach ONP land at Hazarbigha on the southern part of the park by erecting about 20 thatched houses. Immediately on receipt of the information, the park authority, together with policemen, forest battalion jawans, home guards and a local magistrate rushed to the spot and started the eviction drive. This time too, the encroachers went berserk and attacked the security personnel, who were compelled to fire several rounds in the air and then resorted to lathi-charge and tear gas shelling. The security personnel dismantled the dwelling houses and drove the encroachers away. The security personnel apprehended two leaders of the encroachers — Abdul Rahman Biswas (29) of Ward Number 2 of Mangaldai town and Jakir Hussain Robbani (26) of Dalgaon area in Darrang district.
 		 	   		  
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