News No. 112/2013, Monday, September 23, 2013
ONE
person has been injured when the army fought with a crowd of Jumma
villagers trying to reclaim their land now under army control in
Dighinala, Khagrachari district.
The incident happened at 9am today, Monday. The Jumma villagers were trying to get back to their land in the village of Baghaichari under Dighinala Mouza No. 51 when the army swooped on them.
The
unprovoked army attack left Smriti Chakma, 23, son of Ananda Mohan
Chakma seriously injured. He was admitted to Dighinala Health Complex.
A total of 47 Jumma families used to live in the 15-acre land before they were forced to leave to become refugees India in 1989.
In their long absence the army placed the land under the control of Babuchara army camp.
After
their return in 1998, the villagers wanted to be rehabilitated on their
own land under an agreement reached with the Jumma Refugee Welfare
Association, but the authorities refused to restore the land to them.
As
the government failed to rehabilitate them as promised, the villagers
decided to go back to their lands on their own initiatives, and began
constructing houses there.
But
at one stage the army came and prevented them, and when they tried to
destroy the under-construction houses, the Jummas put up a resistance.
Unconfirmed
sources said the government is planning to set up a BGB camp on that
land, and this is why the army has become desperate to take physical
possession of it.
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