580 more families face eviction as Assam resumes demolition drive

“We have issued eviction notices to 580 families. The entire stretch of land is completely under the Dahikata Reserve Forest and has been encroached by these people,” he said.

Assam has witnessed a massive eviction campaign this year, with several demolition drives carried out across multiple districts in a move that the government has called a means to stem a “demographic invasion” by “people of one religion”. Many of those affected have been people of Bengali origin from the Muslim community.

The drive reached a crescendo in the months of July and August, but had quietened following the death of Assamese superstar singer Zubeen Garg on September 19, which had dominated the headlines in the state since then. Sunday’s eviction drive is the first major one in the last two months.

Goalpara district itself has experienced multiple mega eviction drives to clear encroachments on forest land. For instance, a similar eviction drive to clear 140 hectares of forest land in the Paikan Reserve Forest in the district had been conducted on July 12, and on June 16, a drive to evict over 600 families from a wetland area in the district’s Hasila Beel had been conducted.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the eviction drive two days ago on Facebook Live. Referring to the tensions in Assam in the aftermath of Garg’s death and the pressure on the state government over its investigation into it, calling them an attempt to “create a Nepal-like situation in the state”, CM Sarma said, “A lot of people had thought whether the evictions would be stopped. ‘We have brought so much pressure on Himanta Biswa Sarma, he will no longer have the courage to conduct evictions.’ I want to inform you that I cannot make you happy. On [November] 9th and 10th, in Goalpara’s Dahikata forest, evictions will begin.”

According to Sunnydeo Indradeo Choudhury, Conservator of Forests, Central Assam Circle, over 1,000 forest and police personnel have been engaged to conduct Sunday’s eviction drive.

“In just Goalpara district, we have recovered over 900 hectares of forest land through evictions this year,” said the official.