The National Human Rights Commission has sought a report from the Assam Gover-
nment for alleged denial of basic amenities and human rights to close to 4,000 villagers of a village located in western Assam.
NHRC chairman Justice Hl Dattu said this on Thursday while addressing a press conference in Guwahati and added that the Assam Government was asked to file a report to the commission within three months time. The development took place after the case came up for hearing during the two-day long camp sitting of the commission in Guwahati that concluded on Thursday.
The close to 4,000 people of Bamunjhar village in Assam alleged that they have been deprived of their basic human rights in terms of safe drinking water, playgrounds, schools, toilets for each household under the MNREGA and the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan etc due to the identity crisis they have been facing.
While the latest electoral rolls say Bamunjhar village is in Tamulpur sub-division in Baska district, the police station under which the village falls is Sipajhar and revenue circle is Patharughat, both in Darrang district.
“We don’t even know where we actually exist. The Government has not been able to tell us which district we belong to and that is the reason we are deprived of our basic rights,” said one of the villagers.
The apex rights body took up the case for hearing based on a petition filed by rights activist and Supreme Court lawyer, Radhakanta Tripathy.
“Failure of the Centre and the State Governments has been responsible for denial and deprivation of basic human rights of thousands of villagers,” he alleged.