People from as far as Manipur coming to encroach land in Assam: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday alleged that people from as far as Manipur are arriving in Assam to illegally encroach land, including forest areas. 

He reiterated his government’s firm commitment to evict all encroachers, regardless of their origin.

Speaking at a press conference in Guwahati, the chief minister claimed that a “design” is evident in the way illegal settlements emerge. “First, a handful of people move in, start cultivating the land, and then bring more individuals to establish a full-fledged settlement,” he said.

Referring to a recent eviction drive in Lakhimpur, Sarma said, “We found 12 families from Manipur and Nagaon who had come to settle in the area, likely unaware that an eviction had already taken place.” The local district commissioner has been directed to send them back.

Sarma further alleged that many encroachers falsely claim to be from nearby districts like Goalpara but may originally hail from West Bengal or Bangladesh. “Just yesterday, we caught 16 illegal Bangladeshi nationals,” he added, blaming earlier administrations for failing to check such cross-border movements.

He described a repeated pattern in encroachments, citing examples like ginger farming in Lumding, betel nut plantations in Uriamghat (Golaghat), and rubber cultivation in Sribhumi and Hailakandi. According to Sarma, entire forested areas—thousands of bighas—have been taken over, especially in Uriamghat, where around 500 families are believed to have settled.

Also Read: Railway board acts on MP Gaurav Gogoi’s demand for revival of Doomdooma station, PRS counter

“These families, mostly from Dhing and Lahorighat in central Assam, are cultivating betel nuts on lands up to 500 bighas per family,” Sarma alleged. He also raised concerns over the mixing of Myanmar-imported supari with local produce to be sold as indigenous.

The CM hinted at administrative complicity, saying forest officials and some local politicians ignored these settlements as they gradually grew into vote banks. “Once the population crosses 5,000–10,000, even local MLAs hesitate to act,” he remarked. He assured that action will be taken against responsible forest officials, reportedly of the same community as the encroachers.

The Assam government has so far cleared 1.19 lakh bighas of land since May 2021, affecting around 50,000 people, according to Sarma. However, he noted that 63 lakh bighas still remain under encroachment, including 29 lakh bighas of forest land.

While he did not name any specific group, the CM reiterated that the illegal settlements are largely the result of a demographic trend led by people of “one religion,” implying that indigenous communities are facing what he termed as a "land invasion."