Guwahati, Aug 22: Opposition parties and several civil society organisations on Saturday staged a public demonstration demanding the unconditional release of land rights activist Pranab Doley and protesting what organisers described as the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA) against him. The programme was organised by the Bhumi Adhikar Joutha Sangram Samiti (BAJSS) at Chachal, which alleged that the invocation of the NSA against Doley was aimed at suppressing land rights movements and intimidating indigenous communities resisting land acquisition.

Addressing the gathering, BAJSS committee convenor Subrata Talukdar said the protest was centred on two key demands, the unconditional release of Doley and the withdrawal of the NSA imposed on him. " First, we demand the unconditional release of Pranab Doley.

Secondly, we demand the repeal of the NSA imposed on a land rights activist. This law was meant to be used against terrorists, not against those fighting for people's land rights," Talukdar said.

He alleged that indigenous communities across several parts of Assam were facing threats to their land rights due to government policies favouring large corporate interests. " Today there are attempts to snatch away lands from local people in Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, Rabha Hasong and Tiwa areas.

The Assam government is conspiring in every possible way to grab indigenous lands and hand them over to big corporates," he alleged. Talukdar also criticised the government's move to reduce the eco-sensitive zone around Kaziranga National Park from 10 km to 1 km, claiming it could pave the way for large-scale construction activities in ecologically sensitive areas."

The kind of development the government is talking about is meant for big corporates. It has little to do with improving the livelihoods of common people and instead threatens their future," he said.

He asserted that the Joint Struggle Committee for Protection of Land Rights would continue its campaign against what it termed "injustices" affecting indigenous communities. Raijor Dal president and Sibsagar MLA Akhil Gogoi alleged that the use of the NSA against Doley was intended to weaken and depoliticise land rights movements.

" The government's decision to detain a land rights activist under the NSA for six months is an attempt to disperse the movement, create fear and make it leaderless. When the NSA is invoked, movements often lose momentum.