ASSAM STATE COMMISSION FOR REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF
PROBLEMS OF SATRA LANDS IN ASSAM – SUBMISSION OF INTERIM REPORT
Rongili Barta- The Assam Government in fulfilment of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Election Promises and in response to various public complaints and prayers and complaints received from the Satras and other religious institutions decided to set up a Commission to go in to the factual position of the land belonging to the Satras of Assam. The three-member Commission, which was constituted following a decision taken by the State Cabinet in its Meeting held at Bongaigaon on 24 November 2021 was headed by Shri Pradip Hazarika, a former Minister and MLA and included S/Shri Mrinal Saikia and Rupak Sarma, both MLAs of the presently Assembly as members. The main objective of the Commission was to examine closely the problem of Satra Lands and verify the extent of encroachment of land belonging to the Satras and come out with specific recommendations for a long term solution.
The Commission took over charge towards the end of December 2021. Since then it undertook extensive tours across the State and so far covered as many as 12 districts viz. Barpeta, Dhubri, Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Kamrup, Morigaon, Nagaon, Jorhat, Majuli, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, and Karimganj. In this process, the Commission visited 12 District HQ Towns, and covered 62 Satras besides visiting the most severely affected sites in each of the district visited. In every district headquarter visit, the Commission held useful discussions with the Deputy Commissioner and other District Officials, Satradhikars & Satra representatives, local public representatives, Voluntary and Social Organisations and other prominent public men etc.
Based on outcome of the fact-finding visit and data furnished by as many as 303 Satras across 11 districts, the Commission has compiled the information on the status of lands with these Satras. The data show a total of 33265.7 bighas (8413.89 ha) of land being under their possession and a total of 7504.2 bighas (1898.04 ha) as being under encroachment. Out of this, maximum encroachment has been reported in Barpeta district (5545 bighas) and represents about 74% of what has been reported and assessed so far. Barpeta is followed by Lakhimpur & Nagaon districts in middle and upper Assam and two other Lower Assam districts viz. Bongaingaon and Dhubri. In respect of Barpeta, the Satras seriously affected and found to be most vulnerable include, Bhattadev Satra Byaskuchi (4000 bighas), Barpeta Satra (859 bighas), Sundaridia (282 bighas) Moinbori (140 bighas), Pirala Satra (101 bighas) Gamura (65 bighas) and Basudev Dewaloi Na-Satra (63 bighas). In respect of Bangaigaon, the single most affected Satra is Raghunath Satra, which alone has reported encroachment of a total 309 bighas. In Dhubri district too, one of the most badly impacted Satras is Simolabari Purani Satra, whose nearly 200 bighas are under encroachment. In Lakhimpur district, three Satras are important viz. Adi Alengi (122 bighas) Sakopora (138 bighas) and Purana Kamalabari Satra (300 bighas). Another district which is very badly affected is the undivided Nagaon District (comprising present day Nagaon and Morigaon districts). One very major problem in the district is that most of the Satras viz. Bardowa, Kobaikota,
Narowa-Balisatra, Alipukhuri-Patekibari, Dumdumia Satra, Rampur Satra etc., all historic Satras in the district, are under heavy encroachments and the alarming situation was noticed by the Commission during its visit to the district.
Based on field tours and extensive interactions with the Satradhikars, Satra Management Committees and other stakeholders, in addition to concurrence of other evidences, the Commission has now been able to assess the depth of the problem and set in motion its journey towards finding a lasting solution. While the Commission’s exercise is still a work in progress it found it prudent to submit an interim report. This interim report brings out the issues in focus, details of insights gained so far and recommendations and suggestions for action(s) that can be initiated immediately pending submission of the final report.
The Report has made two sets of recommendations: One, which relates to a few specific Satras, and two, the Interim General Recommendations, and together it comprises of as many as 41 recommendations.
The recommendations which relate to specific Satras include: Barpeta Satra and Pidala Satra in Barpeta district and Bardowa Than and its network of other Satras connected to the Than whch include Kobaikota, Dhing-Salaguri, Narowa-Balisatra, Alipukhuri-Patekibari, Dumdumia Satra, Rampur Satra etc. One specific recommendation relating to Bardowa Than and the connected Satras in Nagaon district is to develop it as a well-planned and well developed Religious Tourism Circuit connected to the memories of the Guru, to be called say, ‘Sankar Peeth’ or ‘Guru Peeth Darshan’
The major general recommendations comprise of the following:
∙ To immediately clear all those Satra Lands from encroachments, where the record of rights are available in favour of a particular Satra and/or there are material evidences that the particular land belongs to the Satra and there is a clear case of illegal encroachment.
∙ Specific steps for Satras like Kobaikota Satra and Rampur Satra, Pidala Satra etc. which have either become extinct or near extinct and/or were forced to abandon their shrines and relocate to new places under threat from immigrants of other faith
∙ Certain specific steps for Satras affected by the implementation of Assam State Acquisition of Lands belonging to Religious or Charitable Institutions of Public Nature Act 1959, which include (i) review of the correctness of the assessment of the annuity at the time of acquisition of the land Satra-wise, and also review the present status of release of the annuity to various Satras and (ii) complete review of settlement records of land acquired from Religious Institutions in light of the provisions of the Act
∙ Steps for Promotion and Preservation of the Vaishnavite Cultural Heritage (a)The State Government may decide to declare three major clusters of historic Satras viz. Barpeta (comprising Patbausi, Sundaridia, Baradi, Bahari, Pidala Satra etc.), Majuli (certain demarcated areas) and Bardowa (along with Satras interlinked to Bardowa Than viz. Alipukhuri-Patekibari, Dihing-Salaguri, Narowa-Bali Satra etc.) as Special
Vaishnavite Cultural Heritage Zone (SVCHZ) (or in Assamese – বিশেষ সত্ৰীয়া–সংস্কৃবি পৰম্পৰা ক্ষেত্ৰ). There may be special rights, privileges and duties of the Satras within this zone which may be laid down, besides other protocols. Further, both Barpeta and Bardowa may also be declared as a Satra Nagaris.
(b)The State Government may decide develop two Religio-Tourism Circuits comprising (i) Barpeta Satra as the focal point by connecting other nearby historic Vaishnavite Shrines and Temples viz. Patbausi, Sundaridia, Baradi, Bahari, Kaljar, Pidala Satra etc., and (ii) Bardowa-Alipukhuri(Patekibari)-Narowa (Bali Satra)-(Dhing)-Salaguri-Kobaikata- Rampur Satra – Sri Sri Bongshi Badan and Bongshi Gopal (Doomdoomia) Satra etc., by creating necessary infrastructure. The renovated historic waterway viz. Santijan-Kujibeel- Deora Beel-Roumari Beel- Sonai river-Brahmaputra used by Guru Sri Sankardev may be a part of the project.
(c) To setup 3 Fully Residential Satriya Cultural Education Centres one each in Barpeta, Bardowa and Majuli. While the centres at Barpeta and Bardowa may have teaching facility from primary stage to graduation level, the one at Majuli may have integrated facility teaching from primary to post-graduation level along with facility for doctoral research in Vaishnavite traditions and culture. This institution can be planned and accorded the status of an Autonomous Institution or a State University by putting the other two institutions under it. All the pupils in these three institutions may be imparted education by completely following Vaishnavite traditions and may provide the first stop for academic training for the inmates of Satras in addition to limited seats for wards of general public. The Institution at Bardowa may be setup at Rampur Satra, the site of Mahendra Kandali Tol, the Nalanda of Assam in revival of memory of the 1st such organised educational institution in the Medieval Assam.