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Guwahati : Several protesters including women were injured during clash between the activists and supporters of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and security personnel in northern Assam's town Tezpur on Monday.
 
According to the reports, the protest turned violent after police resorted lathi charge upon the protesters of KMSS led by its leader Akhil Gogoi, who tried to break down the police barricade and also walk out a rally protest against the state government's decisions against the indigenous people by violating section 144 CrPC imposed by the Sonitpur district administration. 
 
In the police action, several protesters including women were injured.
 
Police also arrested farmer leader Akhil Gogoi, but later he was released on bail.
 
'It is not a democratic act, it is a Hitler act. While the protesters walking out through democratic process, security personnel used barbaric action upon us,' Akhil Gogoi said.
 
The protesters had demanded the state government to provide land patta to the landless people and to stop eviction drive in the forest areas, where indigenous landless people lived in past several decades.
 
On the other hand, KMSS and few other organizations had also protested against the eviction drive by the state forest department at Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary in Guwahati on Monday.
 
Following the directive by the Gauhati High Court, the Assam forest department on August 25 had started eviction drives against the 1400 families that have been encroaching upon the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary and evicted around 300 families on the first day.
 
'The families, who had already lost everything in devasting flood and river erosion, are taking shelter in the forest area few decades ago. If the state government will evict these families from here, then where they will go. These are indigenous people and we are demanded the state government to stop the eviction drive immediately,' a KMSS leader said.
 
Meanwhile, the state forest department has temporary stopped the eviction drive at the wildlife sanctuary. 
 
'I will discuss the matter with the Assam Chief Minister,' Assam forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma said.
 
 
(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)