A little Eco-centered Cafe for all, Laheke Chai Cafe in Kaziranga was a part of everyone's chill-out space. Unfortunately, high government authorities have demolished this place without proper hearings and prior notice.
Digital Desk: On a heartbreaking note for all who have been a part of this little Cafe, Laheke Chai Cafe in Kaziranga, Assam, the place was demolished lately by the high authorities without making proper hearings and checking legal documents of the property.
Announcing this sad news, with some of the pictures of shattered walls, the Instagram page of the Cafe has posted a note of despair. On the post, the Cafe posted, "And just like that, our dream of providing a top-quality
Eco-conscious cafe experience in Kaziranga has ended."
The post further read, "Laheke Chai Cafe has been demolished without any hearing. Even though we had legally verified proof of the existing building way before 2019, we had to stand by and watch helplessly as higher authorities demolished our Cafe that so many of you have come to love over the last few years."
The post claimed that the building of the little Cafe was demolished without any prior notice and legal warning. On this ground, can this be said that the illegal demolishing of the building reflects the delinquency of sound practices to be heeded by high leads?
The owner of the Cafe also informed that there were CRPFs who had demolished the building during the night hours without showing any legal documents. Thus, this action from the government has come as a shock for the owners of the Cafe.
Last year, the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) wrote to the Assam government, urging it to take action against unlawful structures in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. "No new construction shall be permitted on private lands that comprise part of the nine selected wildlife routes," the Supreme Court said in a 2019 judgment.
Considering these grounds, the Cafe owner stated that the building of the Laheke Chai Cafe was established before 2019. Therefore, it was not legal to have demolished the building considering the SC order in 2019. Even the court order in 2019 clearly stated that 'no new constructions will be permitted,' then how come the building of the Cafe constructed before 2019 fell into the category of demolishing? This issue has turned out to be a major concern for all.
To be precise, "It is requested that immediate action is taken to remove all constructions made in violation of the Supreme Court order dated April 12, 2019, and not to permit any new constructions along the nine identified animal corridors," the letter by CEC Member-Secretary Amarnath Shetty dated October 6, 2021, stated.
When the forest department officials have contacted the owner of the Cafe, it was shared that they held every legal document of the building.
The Cafe owner stated, "There was no court order for building demolition. Despite letters to high officials with evidence, they demolished the building. No proper warning, no prior notice. I was in Delhi at that time; my manager was here. He was showing the papers to the officials. Despite all, they came at night with CRPFs and demolished the building."
"We are citizens who abide by laws. They have not even accepted any of the legal papers we have presented. The land where the Cafe is situated is a community region. It's a very old land. There are other nine new constrictions identified in the region. That's not an issue; what was harsh on the officials is that we should have received a notice and a chance to provide our justification. We will go according to the laws and fight for justice. We will fight for what is correct and what has gone wrong," the owner added.
The staff members and managers of the Cafe have shared the helplessness of watching standstill while observing the shades and pillars getting demolished. The post ended with lines depicting how small businesses face wrongness and what it takes to build up from scratch.
"As a small family-run business trying to create beautiful spaces that all of us in Assam can be proud of, we are shocked and disappointed that it has come to this. But we'll continue to persevere."
However, perseverance and dedication lie forever in the eyes of a believer. The post ended with lines that assured preserving this place since all loved it.
People who have visited that place and had memories and good food have showered their concern over the post's comment section. It's heartbreaking to see the broken walls of the Cafe, which has dedicated its mission toward eco-tourism.
Moreover, the Cafe was also a medium to support the small local businesses by serving food prepared from the local cultivation and giving economic support resonates across the local supply chain.
To have demolished such an Eco-centered Cafe has visualized how officials take an order and, without clarification, put it harsh upon something worth it. Laws should be abided by all and should also be equal for all. Everything in order tracks a process, and it should be accountable for all to obey the laws, no matter if one is held in control or another.
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