Twice the size of Dispur: Himanta Biswa Sarma flags massive encroachment on satra land

In a startling revelation, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that over 15,288 bighas of Satra land—monastic land revered in Assam’s Vaishnavite culture—have been illegally encroached upon across 29 districts of the state. 

Drawing a dramatic comparison, he said, "An area twice the size of our capital, Dispur, has been encroached. This is not just land—it is the soul of Assam being trampled."

Addressing the press and public through a post on social media, the Chief Minister called the scale of encroachment “unimaginable” and described it as a direct assault on Assam’s identity and cultural heritage. “We are dealing with this firmly. Not anymore,” he warned, signaling a state-wide crackdown.

According to the data shared: 7,137 bighas of Satra land have been encroached in Barpeta district alone.

Also Read: Dhubri targeted by ‘Nabin Bangla’ propaganda: Himanta flags alarming posters

Other major encroachments have been recorded in Bajali, Nagaon, Goalpara, Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Kamrup, Bongaigaon, Majuli, and Dhubri.

CM Sarma further stated that the Government of Assam is working on a war footing to recover and protect Satra lands, which are not only places of worship but also vital cultural institutions dating back to the times of Srimanta Sankardev, the 15th-century saint who laid the foundation of neo-Vaishnavism in Assam.

The state government had earlier launched a verification drive and satellite mapping of Satra lands as part of its mission to identify and remove illegal encroachments. 

The statement comes amidst growing concerns from religious and cultural bodies in Assam over the slow erosion of Satra land due to encroachment, population pressure, and administrative negligence.