Over 1,700 acres of reserve forest reclaimed in Hojai, Himanta warns against encroachment

More than 1,700 acres of reserve forest land in Assam’s Hojai district have been cleared of encroachments, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced, reiterating that his government will not tolerate illegal occupation of public land.

In a post on X, Sarma said the eviction drive at the Jamuna–Moudanga Reserve Forest had been completed successfully. “GAME OVER for illegal encroachment at Jamuna-Moudanga RF. Mission completed as 5,250 bighas reclaimed through peaceful, lawful & decisive action,” he wrote, referring to the clearance of 1,732.5 acres of forest land. He further issued a stern warning, stating, “No cheat codes needed. Consider this your warning: Illegal encroachment will NOT be tolerated.”

The latest operation is part of a series of eviction drives carried out by the BJP-led government since it assumed office in 2021. According to the chief minister, a total of around 1,45,000 bighas, or approximately 47,850 acres, of land have been cleared of alleged encroachments across the state so far.

Sarma has repeatedly defended the eviction policy as necessary to protect forest land, wetlands and government property. On New Year’s Day, he reiterated that such drives would continue as part of the government’s broader land management and conservation strategy.

However, the eviction campaigns have also drawn criticism, as they have largely affected Bengali-speaking Muslim populations in several districts. On November 3 last year, Sarma had asserted that eviction drives would not stop and made controversial remarks suggesting that “illegal Miyas” would not have peace under his government.

The term “Miya,” historically used as a pejorative against Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam—often labelled by non-Bengali speakers as Bangladeshi immigrants—has, in recent years, been reclaimed by sections of the community as a form of political and cultural assertion.

Despite the criticism, the state government maintains that the eviction exercises are conducted in accordance with the law and are essential to reclaim encroached land and uphold environmental and administrative interests.