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GUWAHATI, JULY 8: A massive drive of eviction, reported to be the largest in the history of Assam, commenced early Tuesday morning inside Bilasipara under Dhubri district. Acting on direct instructions from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, authorities rolled in with bulldozers, evacuating close to 2,000 families—approximately 20,000 persons—who had been residing there for decades.
The eviction is happening in multiple areas, such as Santoshpur, Charuabakhra, and Chirakuta Part 1 and 2. The land that is being cleared extends more than 3,500 bighas and is said to be earmarked for a proposed thermal power plant, which is to be transferred to the Adani Group. Officials have mentioned that the drive is a part of a larger plan to clear government land for developmental projects.
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The site of eviction saw acts of utter despondency, where families—some with children, the elderly, and the sick—had to leave behind their homes and belongings. Although others had already taken down their homes before they were given notice, many others held on till the end, hoping for a stay of the operation or an intervention of some sort.
Security was also deployed on a massive scale with police and paramilitary personnel in large numbers in all the affected areas. Notwithstanding these arrangements, tensions broke out when Raijor Dal president and MLA Sivasagar Akhil Gogoi tried to enter the area in order to meet evicted locals. He was prevented by policemen, and this led to demonstrations in anger. Two JCB bulldozers were damaged during the melee in the chaos, and police allegedly used lathi charge to drive away the crowd, leaving several injured.
Later, sources confirmed that the police took Akhil Gogoi into custody after the confrontation.
Locally based organizations have criticized the eviction as prioritizing the interests of companies over the welfare of the general people. They have called for immediate compensation and decent resettlement to the displaced families, threatening further protests if the government does not act promptly and with compassion.
