Assam: Massive protest at Silsako, protesters threaten government to roll bulldozers over their bodies

A massive protest is underway in Guwahati’s Silsako where a few weeks ago a major eviction drive was conducted by the state government and several houses were demolished.

The protesters mostly comprising of the evicted families raised slogans against the government’s decision of another eviction drive on July 27.

Speaking to the media over the matter, one protester said that recently Assam government said that it will conduct the eviction drive again at Silsako.

''We have been fighting for the last five months as they broke down our homes. We will never let this happen again and we will not allow to give this land to capitalist people. We will fight for our own rights,'' the protestor added.

Another protest said that if the government wants to carry out another eviction drive, then the government has run the bulldozers over the body.

''We have come to know that the Assam government is planning to carry out another eviction drive here at Silsako. We want to tell that if they have to run bulldozers over our body before carrying out the eviction drive,'' the protestor added.

The Assam government in February this had evicted around 300 families of indigenous people and razed two temples as part of the Himanta Biswa Sarma government’s ongoing drive against the encroachment of government land in Assam.

At least 1,000 police personnel were deployed at Guwahati’s Silsako Beel to clear out around 132 acres of land from alleged encroachers. A temple dedicated to the goddess Durga and one to Lord Shiva was also pulled down. 

The drive, conducted by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), had predictably caused discontent.

Himanta Biswa Sarma government has been carrying out eviction drives in various parts of Assam since assuming power in May 2021. Over the past three months, some major eviction exercises have been conducted wherein temples, mosques, and madrassas have also been pulled down.

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