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GUWAHATI, JULY 11: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has reaffirmed his government’s determination to carry on eviction drives all over the state. During a press conference in Guwahati after a cabinet meet, Sarma announced that the state has freed over 25,000 acres of land from encroachment during the last four years. He stressed that the eviction drives have been extensive and claimed, “In my opinion, it is not less than 25,000 acres of land. This is enormous.
Sarma has declared that there is another eviction campaign lined up for Goalpara on Saturday. This follows a directive by the Gauhati High Court, which directed the government to evict forest land with an assurance that evicted individuals would be offered drinking water and other basic facilities. The Goalpara operation will target the recovery of about 1,040 bighas of land in Paikan Reserve Forest under the Krishnai Forest Range. Approximately 1,080 families are likely to be displaced from their homes as a consequence.
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The government stand on rehabilitation was made clear by the Chief Minister, who said land rights would be extended to evicted people if they are bona fide Indian citizens and actually landless—not only at the eviction location, but even in their home places. Yet Sarma pointed out that hardly anyone comes forward to claim such land rights after being evicted.
Referring to the recent eviction operation at Lakhimpur, Sarma stated that there had been attempts to change the demographic profile of the region. Sarma asserted that people from districts such as Sribhumi and South Salmara-Mankachar with their minority populations had crossed over to northern Assam en masse. “There was a huge conspiracy to change the demography of Lakhimpur,” Sarma claimed, adding that his administration has taken measures to “restore” the pre-existing demographic pattern in various places.
Sarma also raised an alarm regarding demographic changes elsewhere in the state. He asserted that Hindus had become minorities in cities like Dhubri and mentioned examples such as the exodus of 10,000 to 12,000 individuals from Baghbor in Barpeta to west Assam. He highlighted the fact that even in areas like Goalpara with a centuries-old Hindu temple, Hindus are now a minority. In another eviction campaign undertaken earlier this week, around 3,500 bighas of land were evacuated in Charuwa Bakra, Chirakuta, and Santoshpur villages under Chapar circle. The drive impacted about 1,100 families and was undertaken to pave the way for a thermal power project of the Adani Group.
