Santals say police fired on them, burned their houses after clashes with mill workers stopped

The Santals in Gaibandha, who have been evicted from a disputed land, say police fired on them and set their houses alight a few hours after the clash between them and the sugar mill staff had stopped.

Three members of the ethnic community died in the Nov 6 incident, which the Santals say was a 'pre-planned murder'.

The allegations by leaders of the community came on Tuesday during a public hearing at the premises of a local church where the evicted families are living since their eviction.

The hearing was held by civic body 'Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee', which was formed in 1992 to press the trials of 1971 war criminals.

Attended by hundreds of Sanatals, the hearing was moderated by the body's Adviser AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury, a former Supreme Court judge.

Community leaders Baranabas Tudu, Rafael Hasda, Rina Maiti, Krishna Murmu, Babita Murmu and Verjulio Hemvrom spoke on behalf of the evicted Santals.

They gave a complete timeline of the incident, starting from 1955, when the Rangpur Sugar Mill authorities acquired 1,842 acres of land in 18 villages at the district's Gobindaganj Upazila.

On Nov 6, the sugar mill management conducted an eviction drive. A clash erupted and the houses of Santals were set on fire, vandalised and looted.

Police claimed they opened fire to stop the clashes, but three Santal men died and many others were injured.

Describing the incident, Santal leader Barnabas told the hearing that the factory staff along with police arrived around 8am to harvest the sugarcane.

The clash erupted when the Santals prevented them and the situation became normal around noon, according to him.

The law enforces’ drive kicked off in the afternoon and lasted until 10pm, when around 2,500 homes were set ablaze, claimed Barnabas.

Echoing him, other community leaders said they had not been served with a notice prior to the eviction drive.

They claimed that when the mill authorities acquired the land, their ancestors had been only compensated for the crops, not for the land.

The acquisition deed stipulated that the land will be returned if it is not used for only sugarcane farming, said the Santals.

They said the land was leased out to local influential people for farming. The ethnic community claims that local MP Abul Kalam Azad has dug nine ponds on the land for fish farming.

After hearing the Santals, Justice Choudhury concluded that the sugar mill management had no right to lease out the acquired land.

He demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident and said, "We will provide you with legal support if needed."

The retired Supreme Court judge said they will forward their findings to the prime minister.

Meanwhile, the Gaibandha deputy commissioner (DC), superintendent of police and the sugar mill's managing director visited the site where the Santals had farmed paddy.

DC Abdus Samad said paddy has been farmed on 45.50 acres of land and 30 acres of it was ready for harvesting.

He said the agriculture department informed them the rest will be ready to reap within 10 days.

"The High Court has ordered that the crop be harvested by Nov 30. The court said that either the Santals have to be allowed to reap their crop or to ensure they get it," the DC said.

He added that the factory will arrange harvesting.

On Monday, the mill management offered the Santals help on harvesting, but the ethnic minority has kept them waiting.

Santal leader Filimon Baske said on Tuesday that they will ‘shortly’ inform the administration and mill management about their decision.