Alipurduar, Oct. 22 -- The sit-in protest by residents of Buxa and Jayanti continued through the Durga Puja festivities, with demonstrators warning of a larger agitation if their 10-point charter of demands is not addressed by October 25.

The protest, staged at the Rajabhatkhawa forest checkpost for 17 consecutive days, has kept jeep safari services suspended, dealing a major blow to the region's tourism industry. The Joint Gram Sabha Committee, representing 18 protesting villages, has kept the door open for dialogue with the Forest department and the district administration until October 25. However, residents warned that failure to reach a solution by the deadline could trigger a larger movement.

According to local tourism stakeholders, around 76 homestay owners, 19 safari vehicle owners and drivers, and nearly 30 tour guides have been affected. They estimate that nearly 8,000 people dependent on tourism across Buxa, Jayanti, Rajabhatkhawa and Raymatang are facing livelihood difficulties.

The protesters alleged that the Forest department was illegally collecting entry fees on a Public Works Department (PWD) road. They also accused the department of harassing residents of the 18 villages within the Buxa Tiger Reserve in the name of tiger conservation.

The agitation began on October 6 following tourism restrictions imposed in connection with the arrival of a three-year-old tigress from Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve. The Forest minister said: "The Forest department and the district administration are holding repeated meetings with the villagers. We will resolve everything through discussions."

Ayan Naidu, an executive member of the Joint Gram Sabha Committee, said the villagers had continued their agitation despite the festive season to protect their livelihoods.

"Puja is the biggest festival for Bengalis. Yet, setting aside the celebrations, we have continued our protest here to fight for our livelihoods. After 17 days of agitation and with Puja now over, we can no longer see any hope of a resolution. We have given the Forest department until October 25 to address our demands. After that, we will have to consider other steps. We can no longer tolerate such neglect," he said.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.