Police fire in the air to disperse agitating villagers

Police today opened fire in the air after lathicharge and bursting of tear gas shells failed to disperse villagers in Kaziranga National Park protesting their eviction ordered by Gauhati High Court.
There was no report of any casualty and foreign and domestic tourists visiting the Park, famous for its one-horned rhinos, were stated to be safe.
Officials said over 3000 residents from Bandardubi, Duarchuk Chang and Palkhowa villages situated in the Park, came out under the aegis of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) to protest against their eviction as per a Gauhati High Court direction.
They came out in a procession and blocked NH 37 connecting upper Assam with lower Assam and shouted slogans "We will give blood but not land."

The protestors then marched towards the forest range office in the Park area, gheraoed it and threw stones at it damaging property, they said.
The police along with CRPF personnel rushed to the spot and lathicharged the protestors but failed to disperse them. The security forces then burst tear gas shells and fired in the air, the sources said.

While the police did not report any injury, the protestors claimed that many of them were wounded when they fell trying to escape the batons.
KMSS claimed that on November 14 the villagers had submitted a letter to the authorities seeking to meet sub-divisional officer(civil) and KNP Director today to discuss the issue.

They were, however, agitated when the two officials were not available despite their prior, KMSS added.
The High Court on October 14 directed the deputy commissioners of Golaghat, Sonitpur and Nagaon to take expeditious steps to evict the inhabitants in the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th Additions of the national park, including Duarchuk Chang, Banderdubi and Palkhowa villages, within one month.
The concept of national park in the Wild Life Act contemplates that there should be no human habitation, it had said.