ADM orders Mahalchari TNO to issue show cause notice over Sarnath Kuthir

chtnews.com
News No. 05/2008, January 22, 2008

In a dramatic development, the Additional District Magistrate of Khagrachari in a communication yesterday ordered the Thana Nirbahi Officer of Mahalchari to issue show cause on the headmen and Karbaris (Village head) of Karallyachari area as to why they failed to notify the administration before hand about the uplift programme of the Sarnath Arannyo Kuthir.

The ADM, Mr. Manindra Kishor Majumder also ordered the TNO to take legal actions against the headmen and Karbaris if they fail to make any satisfactory answer to the show cause notices.

The ADM's communication - the memo No. of which is je.pra.kha/je.em/tin-75/2008-63 - was prompted by a fictitious report published in The Daily Star on 12 January 2008 and enclosed a copy thereof.

The subject of the letter is "On illegal cutting of hills and trees in Kiang-ghat area" and as reference the letter has mentioned "The news article published in the Daily Star on 12 January 2008."

In the said dispatch the ADM also requested the TNO to examine the land documents of Sarnath Arannyo Kuthir and take necessary measures in this regard.

The local people believe the ADM was prodded by the military, who calls all the shots in CHT, to write the said communication.

A member of the Kiang-ghat Union Council, who wished not to be named for security concerns, said "the letter issued by ADM is ill-motivated and smacks of religious hatred".

"The local government administration is either exceptionally biased or is unable to carry out its duties independently" he further said. Questioning the justification for the issuance of the letter, he continued: "How can he issue such a letter on the basis of a fictitious newspaper report and that too ten days after its publication?"

"While the administration - both civil and military - turns a blind eye to the forcible land grabbing by illegal plain settlers, it even refuses to allow us to perform our religious duties", alleged another villager requesting anonymity.

Meanwhile, sources from Khagrachari said the programme of religious gathering on 25 January at Sarnath Arannyo Kuthir still hangs in the balance as the Khagrachari Brigade Commander reportedly declined to give permission.

The Commander visited Karallyachari yesterday and was reported to have told the organisers of the programme that he would give permission only if he got any green signal from the Ministry of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs.