Demonstration against killing of forest dwellers

 

COOCH BEHAR, Feb. 13: Demanding arrest and punishment of the forest guards involved in killing of Samuel Rava of Porobusti, a large number of people demonstrated at the office of the additional district magistrate at Alipurduar today. RSP dominated North Bengal Forest Mazdoor Union (NBFMU) organised the programme.

 

President of the NBFMU Mr Nirmal Das (MLA) and secretary Mr Manohar Tirkey (minister) submitted a memorandum to the Alipurduar ADM Mr Susanta Dutta and deputy field director (West) of Buxa Tiger Reserve Mr Ashok Pratap Singh. They demanded adequate compensation to the family members of the deceased Samuel Rava and implementation of the legitimate demands of the forest dwellers.

 

NBFMU president and also the Alipurduar MLA Mr Nirmal Das alleged that the poor dwellers of Porobusti got opportunity to work for only 14 days under NREGA scheme till now. Forest guards gunned down Samuel Rava, a boy of the village, without any provocation when he went to collect firewood for domestic use on 8 February. Six forest dwellers of the area were killed in the past two-and-half years, he alleged. The NBFMU is not in a mood to witness such happenings anymore as silent spectator, he declared. []