Eviction of Gaibandha Santals: A year on, yet no sign of redress

Even though a year has passed, the Santals who were evicted from the land of Sahebganj-Bagda sugarcane farm in Gaibandha's Gobindaganj were yet to be rehabilitated and compensated.

Rather, many of them are in fear of being arrested as cases were filed against them.

In a recent visit to the spot, this correspondent found that most of the evicted Santals were still living in shanties they had built almost a year ago. Their children were passing idle times as the authorities of the Rangpur Sugar Mills took control of their school. 

On November 6, a tripartite clash broke out between the Santals, staffers of Rangpur Sugar Mills, and police over the eviction of the indigenous people from the disputed land, leaving three Santal men dead and 20 others, including nine policemen, injured.

Many of the injured are still suffering. The victims claimed that they did not get any promised compensation from the government.

Thomas Hembrom, of Jaipur Para village, told The Daily Star that they lodged a case against 33 people for torching their homes and evicting them from “their land”, but police could arrest only one of the accused.

Police were to yet submit a charge sheet in the case, Thomas, a plaintiff of the case, added.

Bodhni Hadza, 65, of Madarpur village, said rubber bullets hit her head.

“I am still sick and I didn't get any compensation from the government," she said, adding that they actually do not want any compensation and help from the government, they just want their forefathers' land back.

Fulmoni Murmu, 63, of Joypur Para village, said during the November 6 incident, she was shot in her right hand and abdomen.

Dizen Tudu, a 42-year-old Santal man of the village, lost his eyesight as a rubber bullet hit his left eye. “My wife has to travel a long distance to go to work for earning enough to feed our family as I am not able to do work."

Another Santal man, Bimal Kisku, 35, of the village, was wounded severely as bullets hit his both legs.

“I am the only breadwinner of my family, but I cannot walk anymore. So, my children have to go hungry most of the time,” he said.

Hopna Murmu, a 55-year-old Santal man of Joypur Para village, was also hit by bullets in the left chest and left hand. Though he recovered from his injuries, his left arm became partially paralysed, he said.

“I can't move my left arm; therefore, I have to work with one hand," he told this correspondent.

The Santals alleged that many locals were not interested in employing them after the November 6 incident. 

Following the incident, the evicted Santals moved to nearby Jaipur Para and Madarpur villages and started living in shanties.

About their rehabilitation, Gobindaganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shilabrata Karmakar said initiatives were going on to rehabilitate 300 Santal families in Fulhar village. 

The earth filling work had already been completed, and houses would be handed over to them within two months, he hoped.     

The Police Bureau of Investigation has been tasked with probing the cases filed in connection with the November 6 incident while the district police are investigating the cases lodged before and after the incident, said Mashruqure Rahman Khaled, superintendent of Gaibandha police.