All Tiwa Students' Union (ATSU) central committee, Autonomy Demand Struggling Forum (ADSF )and Tiwa People of Amri and Duaramla mouza submitted a memorandum to chief executive member Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, Diphu though the range officer, Au guri range, Auguri recently, as stated in a press release. ATSU, ADSF and the local public of Amri and Duar Amla constituency of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council have reiterated that the Tiwa people of Amri and Duar Amla mauzas of Karbi Anglong are aboriginal and sons of the soil of this land. Most of the villages have their own historical and cultural values to the Tiwa community. These villages were settled here since time immemorial. It may be mentioned that the Tiwas living in hills formerly used to practice shifting cultivation for their livelihood. Hence the steps to convert such villages into revenue villages should be averted. As per the Forest (Conversion) Act 1980, the Central Government is seeking proposal from the State Government for conversion of the villages of forest dwellers and tribal villages into revenue villages, particularly those occupants who have settled in the reserve forest or proposed reserve forest prior to October 25, 1980. This is alarming as it would deprive the rights of these people to live in the forest land with dignity as an aborigal tribe in their own territries. In accordance with the gudelines issued by the entral Government, the ATSU, ADSF has appealed to the State Government to send the required proposal to the Central Government after proper demarcation of the original habitat of the tribals in the forest area. Therefore, they demanded that the authority of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council should immediately pass an order to stop plantation in owner occupied land of the villagers of Balikhunji, Tharakhunji, Asukhunji, Bor Ronkhoi, Dapsal, Bor-Amni, Saru-Amni et al. The authority of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council should adopt a bold decision for settlement of land to all tribal inhabitants in various forest and reserved forest areas of Auguri and Umjakini Range, the organizations alleged. The Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council should immediately conduct a survey of the land occupied by the villagers under Auguri and Umjakini Range for allotment of land to the owners who have gradually given up the idea of shifting cultivation and presently practising permanent cultivation in their own occupied land. But it is very unfortunate that instead of initiating plantation in large unoccupied land the forest officials of Auguri Range are forcefully continuing plantation in the occupied land of the villagers in villages like Balikhunji, Tharakhunji, Asukhunji, Bor Ronkhoi, Dapsal, Bor-Amni Saru Amni etc where there permanent cash crops like broom, ginger, bamboo etc are being cultivated. This has now become a question of life and death to protect our occupied cultivated land for our survival, the local people alleged. This kind of actions from the officials of Auguri Range has compelled us to think that there is a deep-rooted conspiracy to make the Tiwa community minority in these areas, they feared, as cultivating land is the only source of livelihood. This is direct threat to the Tiwas of Karbi Anglong. Forests pose as traditional home to the many aboriginal tribes like Karbi, Tiwa, Dimasa etc, most of them now scheduled as scheduled tribe. Their lives depend on forest products and have been shielding the forest resources from onslaught of commercialized exploitation by outsiders. The government should understand the importance of the contribution of the tribals towards sustainable development and growth of national economy. The villages built up around the forest should have every privilege as the revenue villages, both the ATSU and ADSF held.