Assam
,
Namapara
,
Kokrajhar
Published : 12 July, 2014   |   Last updated - 24 Jun, 2024
Private land dispute takes political overtones in Assam's Kokrajhar
Reported by
Sarup Sinha
Legal Review by
Anmol Gupta
Updated by
Anupa Kujur
Households affected
11
People Affected
2024
Year started
Land area affected
Households affected
11
People Affected
2024
Year started
Land area affected
Key Insights
Sector
Land Use
Reason/Cause of conflict
Communal/Ethnic Conflict
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
1
Summary

On 7 June 2024, 11 people were injured in a scuffle over a land dispute in Namapara village, under Fakiragram police station in Kokrajhar. The dispute arose over the sale of a 3.10 bigha plot of land, which eventually took on communal overtones.
 
The altercation began over land owned by Nikhil Bose, which tenant Pabitra Barman has cultivated for nearly a decade. When Bose decided to sell the land, Barish Ali offered Rs 3.10 lakhs per bigha, exceeding Pabitra Barman's Rs 2 lakhs per bigha. This sparked a heated dispute between the two parties.
 
Assam Tourism Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah visited Namapara on 8 June 2024, accompanied by Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Executive Member Arup Kumar Dey, Kokrajhar District BJP president Kabita Basumatary, and senior police officials. Baruah assured that the government would take stringent actions against any anti-social elements attempting to stir trouble against the present government.
 
In a further development, the All BTC Minority Students' Union (ABMSU) accused Arup Kumar Dey of instigating the violence. The ABMSU alleged that Dey made inflammatory statements, alleging that Bangladeshi immigrants attacked Hindu residents. An FIR has been filed against Dey at Fakiragram Police Station, and ABMSU is demanding a thorough inquiry into the matter. ABMSU Centre General Secretary Joydul Islam was quoted saying, "All proof is in hand, so we demand an inquiry into the matter."
 
Responding to the accusations, Dey warned ABMSU not to aggravate the situation further and called for an unbiased inquiry without political interference. The police have so far arrested [four](https://www.sentinelassam.com/north-east-india-news/assam-news/political-overtones-in-namapara-land-dispute-turn-violent-4-arrested-in-kokrajhar-district#:~:text=It may be mentioned that,Friday night from different places.) individuals connected to the case.

2
Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

No items found.

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to retain/protect access to private land as a tenant

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Private

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Residential area

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Author
Reported by
Sarup Sinha

Assam

Kumar Sambhav is a social entrepreneur and award-winning journalist, leading innovative research in accountability investigations. He is the founder of Land Conflict Watch and is currently working as India Research Lead with Princeton University’s Digital Witness Lab.

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Fact sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

No items found.

Private land dispute takes political overtones in Assam's Kokrajhar

Reported by

Sarup Sinha

Legal Review by

Anmol Gupta

Edited by

Anupa Sagar Kujur

Updated by

Updated by

Published on

July 17, 2024

July 29, 2024

Edited on

July 17, 2024

Sector

Land Use

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Communal/Ethnic Conflict

Starting Year

2024

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

ha

Households Affected by Conflict

People Affected by Conflict

11

State

Assam

Sector

Land Use

People Affected by Conflict

11

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

ha

Starting Year

2024

Location of Conflict

Namapara

Kokrajhar

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Communal/Ethnic Conflict

Land Conflict Summary

On 7 June 2024, 11 people were injured in a scuffle over a land dispute in Namapara village, under Fakiragram police station in Kokrajhar. The dispute arose over the sale of a 3.10 bigha plot of land, which eventually took on communal overtones.
 
The altercation began over land owned by Nikhil Bose, which tenant Pabitra Barman has cultivated for nearly a decade. When Bose decided to sell the land, Barish Ali offered Rs 3.10 lakhs per bigha, exceeding Pabitra Barman's Rs 2 lakhs per bigha. This sparked a heated dispute between the two parties.
 
Assam Tourism Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah visited Namapara on 8 June 2024, accompanied by Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Executive Member Arup Kumar Dey, Kokrajhar District BJP president Kabita Basumatary, and senior police officials. Baruah assured that the government would take stringent actions against any anti-social elements attempting to stir trouble against the present government.
 
In a further development, the All BTC Minority Students' Union (ABMSU) accused Arup Kumar Dey of instigating the violence. The ABMSU alleged that Dey made inflammatory statements, alleging that Bangladeshi immigrants attacked Hindu residents. An FIR has been filed against Dey at Fakiragram Police Station, and ABMSU is demanding a thorough inquiry into the matter. ABMSU Centre General Secretary Joydul Islam was quoted saying, "All proof is in hand, so we demand an inquiry into the matter."
 
Responding to the accusations, Dey warned ABMSU not to aggravate the situation further and called for an unbiased inquiry without political interference. The police have so far arrested [four](https://www.sentinelassam.com/north-east-india-news/assam-news/political-overtones-in-namapara-land-dispute-turn-violent-4-arrested-in-kokrajhar-district#:~:text=It may be mentioned that,Friday night from different places.) individuals connected to the case.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

No items found.

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to retain/protect access to private land as a tenant

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Private

Type of Common Land

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Residential area

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Legislations/Policies Involved

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  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

No

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Non-consultation with stakeholders

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

No

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

Physical attack

Reported Details of the Violation:

A group clash occurred over land dispute at Namapara village under Fakiragram police station in Kokrajhar district on 7 June 2024 which turned violent leaving 11 people injured. The altercation erupted over a 3.10 bigha plot of land between two communities, sparking a scuffle that left 11 wounded, three seriously injured. Four persons have been arrested, while other five accused are absconding.

Date of Violation

June 6, 2024

Location of Violation

Namapara village

Additional Information

Nature of Protest

No items found.

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Bodoland Territorial Council

No items found.

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Video

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