Assam minister vows crackdown on forest land encroachers, cites threat to indigenous identity

Assam Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah has vowed strict action against what he described as a growing presence of non-indigenous people and immigrants occupying forest land in and around Guwahati. He warned that their continued settlement poses a direct threat to the region’s cultural fabric and demographic balance.

“A significant number of non-indigenous individuals and immigrants or those who will end our culture are residing on forest land in Guwahati, altering the region's demographic composition,” Baruah said. “We will take appropriate action against them. This needs to be done. Otherwise, the indigenous people of Assam will not remain due to changed demography.”

Baruah's comments come amid a state-led eviction drive targeting illegal settlements within Assam's protected forest zones. The minister’s remarks align with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) broader stance on illegal immigration, particularly concerning those it alleges are of Bangladeshi origin.

The Assam BJP released a statement earlier, claiming that more than 10 million people of Bangladeshi origin had settled in the state during previous regimes, particularly under Congress. The statement said, “Their long-standing attempt to convert Assam into a Miya-land will never be allowed to succeed under any circumstances.”

Chief spokesperson for the Assam BJP, Kishor Kumar Upadhyay, echoed similar concerns. “Due to the aggression of East Bengal origin Muslims, the indigenous population in several districts of Assam is under severe threat,” he said.

Meanwhile, the eviction campaign has led to heightened concerns in neighboring Nagaland, where security forces have been placed on alert to prevent possible cross-border migration.

Nagaland Director General of Police Rupin Sharma acknowledged the situation, saying that illegal settlers displaced by Assam's forest clearance efforts might attempt to move into Nagaland. “Their eviction is part of a drive undertaken by the Assam Forest Department and other state agencies, as permanent settlement is not allowed in forest land,” Sharma said. “Many of these evicted individuals may attempt to enter Nagaland with their belongings.”

To counter this, the Nagaland Police have increased border patrols and set up additional checkpoints to monitor any movement into the state.