Guwahati: The ongoing strife between chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government and local grassroots activists opposing the proposed plan of a high-end hotel in Kaziranga took an ugly turn on Wednesday, August 7 evening, when two activists were allegedly cornered and manhandled, and were subsequently detained by the police.
Manohar Pegu of the National Alliance of Peoples’ Movement (NAPM) and Ritupan Pegu of the Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Committee (GKLHRC) were attacked when they were in Rongajan village at Kohora range in Kaziranga to collect testimonies of about 40 to 45 families who were evicted to make way for the hotel.
In addition to NAPM and GKLHRC, several civil society organisations have been at the forefront of vocal opposition against the proposed construction plan.
The attack and detention of activists come just two days after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) took suo-motu cognisance of the issue of the proposed construction of a high-end hotel and resort at Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR).
On Wednesday evening, the two activists heard sloganeering from outside the house where they were talking to affected families to record their testimonies in Rongajan.
Those associated with NAPM and GKLHRC, whom The Wire spoke to, said both Manohar and Ritupan were called outside by a mob of about 100-plus villagers. The mob surrounded the house and raised slogans against Pranab Doley, who is the convener of GKLHRC and a local political activist, said members of NAPM and GKLHRC.
Sensing that the situation may get out of control, Manohar and Ritupan reached out to Saurav Patgiri, an independent researcher, and Subham, a local. By then, the mob had already damaged the vehicle of Manohar and Ritupan, and stopped them from leaving the village, NAPM and GKLHRC members said.
They also alleged that the mob had assaulted a local villager Minali Gowala and her daughter. Minali was evicted from her own land for the hotel project. A farmer Geeta Gowla, who took Minali and her daughter, to a hospital was arrested by the police, NAPM and GKLHRC members said.
Saurav Patgiri and Subham, whose help Manohar and Ritupan had sought, reached out to the local police seeking their intervention but were allegedly detained.
Police personnel from the Kohora police outpost then reached Rongajan village and took Manohar and Ritupan to Bokakhat police station where they were allegedly detained along with others.
Pranab Doley of GKLHRC told The Wire that instead of helping Saurav and Subham they were manhandled and illegally detained by the police, and the entire incident was part of a “greater political vendetta” against him who had been vehemently opposing the construction of a five-star hotel.
Doley goes on to say, “The villagers were fed false information against me. They were told that I would be responsible if the villagers had to lose their livelihood if the nearby tea gardens had to be shut down as part of the Kaziranga expansion project. This is untrue. We are fighting against the construction of the hotel which will prove a disaster for the animals, indigenous people and the fragile ecosystem. The police and the district administration are hand-in-glove with the mob who attacked our members and the victims of the land acquisition. It was very clear that the mob wanted to murder me and our members,” said Doley.
In the 2021 state assembly polls, Doley contested against the local Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader and agriculture minister Atul Bora from the Bokakhat assembly constituency. Doley polled second in the contest.
“The entire incident is a plot designed by AGP and BJP. They are jittered by NGT’s suo motu cognisance over the issue of construction plans for a hotel. They are running out of ideas on how to confront the activists and that is why they have resorted to feeding disinformation and misinformation about me. The villagers are innocent. But they have been fed with lies by political masters. We demand the immediate release of our members and action against those who have hurt our members,” added Doley.
Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan said, “I strongly condemn the incident that happened yesterday. The miscreants must be arrested soon.”
The Wire also spoke to the peasant leader of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti and MLA from Sivasaagr assembly constituency Akhil Gogoi.
He said, “Such an incident is highly condemnable. There should be a public hearing on whether there should be a five-star hotel or not in Kaziranga. It should be left to the public to decide.”
It is to be noted that the proposed construction site of the hotel is Hathikuli-Inglay Pothar. The indigenous people there consider the site a playground and grazing ground for wild elephants.
Of late, the site has become a flashpoint of a struggle between grassroots rights activists and locals on one side, and the Sarma-led state government on the other, which is hell-bent on going forward with the controversial project.
Activists pointed out that the plan will prove a disaster for KNPTR and its fragile ecosystem. On August 3, the Sarma-led state government and Tata Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a five-star Taj Hotel at Hatikhuli. In September 2023, the same state government signed a MoU with the Chicago-based Hyatt Hotels for another five-star hotel at Inglay Pothar.
