Assam: Tensions rise in Dhubri as eviction drive targets thousands of families

Thousands of residents in Dhubri’s Alomganj area are facing growing uncertainty over an upcoming eviction drive that could impact nearly 4,000 bighas of land. While a significant portion—about 2,200 bighas—is classified as government-owned khas land, reports suggest around 900 bighas of patta land, held under legal title deeds, may also be acquired.

The land is being eyed for development under the state’s “Advantage Assam 2.0” initiative. On Wednesday, top officials from the Dhubri district administration, including the District Commissioner and Additional Commissioner, met with landholders in Alomganj to discuss acquisition plans.

But resistance is building.

“The land of all the sons of the soil and pattadars will never be given up,” declared a resolution passed by the Garia Maria Desi Jatiya Parishad during a meeting at Chitalkatti on Thursday. The group, which represents the indigenous Deshi community, has vowed to oppose any move that threatens homesteads and ancestral villages.

Afzalur Rahman, district president of the Parishad, was clear in his stance. “We don't mind evicting people living on government land, taking away the khas land. But villages in Panbari and Alomganj areas of the indigenous Deshi communities will not be allowed to be wiped out.”

The situation has become more complex as divisions emerge among the pattadars. While some remain determined to retain their property, others—especially those whose homes and ancestral bheta land are at stake—are reportedly under pressure to concede.

Meanwhile, many families living for generations on government land are also caught in limbo. With no formal land rights, they face the constant fear of displacement, unsure of where they will go if evicted.

The eviction plan, if carried out, is expected to affect thousands of households. It has sparked urgent debates about development versus displacement, especially in a region where land ownership is tied to both identity and survival.

Further talks between community leaders and the administration are expected in the coming days, as the standoff grows more intense.