Boro participated in the demonstration against the State Government’s reported decision to initially issue land pattas to 500 families which agitators such as Bodo are of the view that this decision runs counter to the earlier one to grant pattas to as many as 85,000 families who had illegally settled on about 19 hills, wetlands and forests of the city.

The self – immolation in front of the State Secretariat in the city in support of the demand for land settlement rights – a mode of registering protest never heard of before in the State has rocked Assam. The people who were glued to the local television channels on that very day must have been taken by utter surprise as they watched live albeit hair – raising images of the hapless Boro telecast by these channels as he rushed engulfed in flames past the security personnel around towards the approach to the Secretariat.

Pranab Boro sustained almost cent per cent burn injuries when he had poured petrol over himself and set himself ablaze at around 10 am during the agitation.

Boro who is survived by a wife and three school – going children – two daughters and a son, originally hailed from Goreswar area in Kamrup district and the family has been reportedly living in a semi – permanent house built on 1.5 kothas in the Gorchuk area for the past 20 years or so. By profession, he was a carpenter.

Before initiating any discourse on the vital issue of whether it was worthwhile on the part of the State Government to hastily decide on starting the process of distribution of land pattas to the landless people in the city from February 24th – one day before Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi’s two – day Assam visit in connection with holding public rallies, we all should deeply mourn the tragic death of Boro. However, in this gloomy scenario, a little piece of good news is that his family need not have to struggle to manage two square meals a day anymore because the Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi who quite termed the act of self immolation as “One of the most unfortunate incidents in Assam’s history” thankfully promised that his Government would take full responsibility of Boro’s family. Indeed, nothing will possibly be more satisfying in this defining moment for his family than his wife being provided a job to take care of the needs of the family. Gogoi, as reported, will try to give this job to one of the family members of the deceased.

Utterly outrageous though it may appear at first sight, the fact of the matter is that the lack of foresightedness on the part of Dispur and partly the truculent attitude of the KMSS is what is largely responsible for the shocking incident which occurred in front of all present. Resultantly, both sides have, not surprisingly, come in for a lot of flak from leaders of almost all opposition parties in the State. So as to exemplify what they remark about them, we would say the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) general secretary and sitting MLA Wafiz Bashir Ahmed Kasimi observed that while the Government has a responsibility to provide land pattas to the landless, it has displayed a lack of sincerity in adopting a proper land policy.

Interestingly, CPI State Secretariat member Dambaru Bora does not share the same view. He is of the opinion that the KMSS leader Gogoi is also to blame for the tragic incident as he incited the common people. AGP leader and former two – time serving Chief Minister of Assam PK Mahanta however blamed the self – immolation by KMSS member Boro on the State Government.

Meanwhile, two persons namely Boro’s wife Purnima and another person known as Sanjib Goswami have lodged FIRs at local police stations with regard to this case. While the former has filed an FIR holding Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi responsible for Boro’s death, the latter did so accusing KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi of instigating and abetting protesters resulting in Boro’s death.

The relevant question that must have figured in a curious mind, however, is – In this struggle, ostensibly for political gain, which of the two concerned sides has suffered grieviously? Undoubtedly, the answer to this is the Government. If today there is such an unpleasant incident occurring in the capital, it is because of Dispur’s decision to fix February 24th as the day for distribution of pattas. While the KMSS had warned the Government of spearheading an intense agitation if all the landless people settled in the city’s hills and other Government lands are not allotted pattas, Dispur ought to have issued it on February 24th in a phased manner as it has done after making adequate security arrangements or deferred it to an immediate future considering Rahul Gandhi’s poll – related whirlwind tour of Assam. This hasty decision is what has caused the Government dearly when KMSS gave a 12 hour Guwahati bandh call on February 25th even as Gandhi addressed a well – attended public rally at Khanapara and more importantly, it had pur a spanner in the process of distribution of land pattas.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, while terming the incident a very unfortunate said that the entire process of allocating pattas was carried out in consultation with KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi. He even briefed that the Government would listen to the agitators and that they should not put hurdles in the way of the granting the pattas. When the Chief Minister had said that the process was started after consulting Akhil Gogoi and that his ruling establishment would consider land – related issues in the future, the KMSS leader and his brigade should have not have staged such a horrific movement. Instead, they should have waited a few more days for what this does in solving the thorny issue.

If the Government did not react positively even after repeated reminders or waiting for a reasonable time, only then could the KMSS have launched a peaceful ‘bhumi patta andolon’. Had they done so, nobody at that time would have raised an accusing finger at them. However, the manner in which they had spearheaded the movement, so to say, exasperating, with the law and order situation going downhill.

The movement for landless people in Guwahati however is an old issue. Guwahati Mati Pattakaran Sangam Samiti (GMPSS) had been spearheading an agitation to demand land for landless people in the city since its inception in 2002. The other movement to pitch pattas for them is being headed by KMSS. Reportedly, there are 1.80 lakh people in the city who have no permanent residence there.

Regretfully, with the Government’s prolonged dithering in amicably resolving the long – pending issue of granting pattas to the landless people, the issue has turned more complex than it was before. The recommendation of the Bhumidhar Barman Committee constituted by the Gogoi – led ruling establishment to look into the matter was approved by the State Cabinet. The Committee report published in June 2011 suggested granting land, excluding forest and wetlands upto a maximum area of 1.5 kathas for only residential purpose to those who have occupied land for the last 10 years. The present Revenue Minister Prithvi Majhi briefed a convention on land on the 30th of October 2013 that the State Forest Department had pegged the number of these people at 65,000 though the number of the landless who fulfilled the criteria of the report was a huge number of 85,000. The GMPSS was incidentally jubilant at the assertion. However, what is disappointing is that the organization was not happy with the decision. They instead are determined to continue with the movement for land for the indigenous people.

However the real spark for the incident which happened on the 24th of February was seemingly Majhi’s assertion that out of 62,000, only 500 families would be allotted pattas. In the final analysis, all that can be argued is that unless a holistic approach is adopted by the Government and the KMSS, there is little likelihood of finding a long – term solution to this problem.

Dwaipayan