Pabna char people fear attack on paddy fields
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Our Correspondent
PABNA, Nov 9: The marginal farmers of char areas across Pabna have been passing their days in great anxiety apprehending possible attack on their paddy fields by the musclemen of big land owners.
Locals said almost every year the musclemen of big land owners swoop on the fields of ripe aman paddy at the time of harvesting claiming ownership of lands which have emerged from the river beds years after erosion. But these lands actually belong to the marginal farmers. When erosion hit people take possession of their own accredited lands and start cultivation of crops, big land owners wielding immense influence in their areas claim ownership of these lands. Though they do not possess any legal documents to claim ownership of the lands in char areas yet they attempt to grab them on the strength of their sheer muscle power and clout with the concerned officials of the land department. Even if the bigwigs fail to occupy the newly emerged lands they deploy their musclemen to harvest crops by sheer muscle power. This shatters the hope of the actual land owners who produce paddy by the sweat of their brows.
As the harvesting of aman began this season, tension has gripped the marginal farmers at the char areas under three upazilas.
Char Sadirajpur, Bhabanipur, Raninagar, Radhakantapur, Khaschar, Balarampur, Mach-para, Gangadharpur, Jatkakurya, Bhadurdangi, Dhukrakul, Char Madhupur, Dhalarchar, Pen-chakhola, Maldoho Para, Kalayeeanpur and Kumillichar under sadar,Sujanagar and Ishwardi upazilas have been identified as most violence prone areas.
As many as 79 marginal and landless farmers were killed and over 1,500 injured in attacks by the musclemen of the big land owners at the char areas across the district during the last 25 years, local sources said.
The people of char areas were of the view that establishment of temporary police camps at the vulnerable points of the district could avert the possible attack by the musclemen of the big land owners.
PABNA, Nov 9: The marginal farmers of char areas across Pabna have been passing their days in great anxiety apprehending possible attack on their paddy fields by the musclemen of big land owners.
Locals said almost every year the musclemen of big land owners swoop on the fields of ripe aman paddy at the time of harvesting claiming ownership of lands which have emerged from the river beds years after erosion. But these lands actually belong to the marginal farmers. When erosion hit people take possession of their own accredited lands and start cultivation of crops, big land owners wielding immense influence in their areas claim ownership of these lands. Though they do not possess any legal documents to claim ownership of the lands in char areas yet they attempt to grab them on the strength of their sheer muscle power and clout with the concerned officials of the land department. Even if the bigwigs fail to occupy the newly emerged lands they deploy their musclemen to harvest crops by sheer muscle power. This shatters the hope of the actual land owners who produce paddy by the sweat of their brows.
As the harvesting of aman began this season, tension has gripped the marginal farmers at the char areas under three upazilas.
Char Sadirajpur, Bhabanipur, Raninagar, Radhakantapur, Khaschar, Balarampur, Mach-para, Gangadharpur, Jatkakurya, Bhadurdangi, Dhukrakul, Char Madhupur, Dhalarchar, Pen-chakhola, Maldoho Para, Kalayeeanpur and Kumillichar under sadar,Sujanagar and Ishwardi upazilas have been identified as most violence prone areas.
As many as 79 marginal and landless farmers were killed and over 1,500 injured in attacks by the musclemen of the big land owners at the char areas across the district during the last 25 years, local sources said.
The people of char areas were of the view that establishment of temporary police camps at the vulnerable points of the district could avert the possible attack by the musclemen of the big land owners.