The Misings, who are well-known for their adaptable riverine lifestyle and ability to cope with floods in Assam, have recently been on the verge of becoming climate refugees as their old habitats have grown unsustainable owing to frequent flooding and erosion. (Pegu et al, 2018)
In a state where indigenous people continue to fight for what has always been theirs, the difficulties of the people of Laika Dodhia are a common sight. The rehabilitation of the Laika-Dodhia village population has been a sensitive topic ever since the 1950 Assam-Tibet earthquake forced the relocation.
The government designated the areas, which was originally a reserve forest during the British rule, as a protected area in 1999 and gave it the name Dibru-Saikhowa National Park. Since the proclamation, the population has not only been denied rights to rehabilitation but also access to public services such housing, hospitals, schools, electricity, and water. And the families who are now living here have been relocated numerous times because of frequent floods and erosion thereby being subject to marginalization.
There has been a long history of protests by the locals and the larger Mising Community, but the policing nature of governance has suddenly turned the tribes into "encroachers" and "exploiters" of the forests instead of recognising them as legal dwellers who play a key role in conserving the forests. The Mising community is compelled to engage in conflict with other communities in addition to the State as they look for a safe place to settle.
Laika-Dodhia's plight is one of many signs of a greater homelessness crisis that many vulnerable communities in Assam are dealing with.
This paper is an attempt to explore the problems facing the Laika-Dodhia village population, the timeline of events, and the sociopolitical issues surrounding it.
