Assam eviction drive removes encroachers from 1,000 bighas of Dahikata reserved forest land

A large-scale eviction drive in Assam’s Goalpara district on Sunday led to the removal of hundreds of families from land the state government says was illegally occupied within a reserve forest. Officials reported that the operation, covering more than 1,140 bighas (around 376 acres) in the Dahikata Reserve Forest, proceeded without major resistance.

 

Goalpara Deputy Commissioner Prodip Timung said the exercise was being conducted peacefully and nearly 70 per cent of those identified as “illegal settlers” had already vacated the area before the demolition began. “We issued notices more than 15 days ago. About 580 families had encroached on the land. Most have left after receiving the notices,” he said.

 

Timung added that the eviction was expected to be completed within the day. “We set aside two days for the drive but hope to finish it today. So far, there has been no resistance. The remaining houses on encroached land are being demolished,” he told reporters.

 

The district administration deployed heavy machinery, including dozens of excavators and tractors, and a large security contingent to assist in the operation. “We have divided the area into five blocks. In four of them, about 80 per cent of people have already left,” Timung said. The eviction, he noted, was being carried out under the directives of the Gauhati High Court, which has heard multiple petitions related to the issue.

 

A senior official said most of the affected families belong to the Bengali-speaking Muslim community. Residents, however, disputed the government’s claim of encroachment. 

 

Abdul Karim, one of those displaced, said many had lived in the area for decades. “If we were encroachers, why did the government provide electricity, toilets and other facilities? We have Aadhaar cards and land documents but are still treated as outsiders,” he said.

 

Special Chief Secretary (Forest) MK Yadava stated that the evicted land lies within an elephant corridor and clearing it would help mitigate human-elephant conflict.

 

Since the Himanta Biswa Sarma government took office in 2021, Assam has witnessed multiple eviction drives targeting what authorities call “illegal encroachments.” The operations have largely affected Bengali-speaking Muslims, often labelled “Miyas” — a term originally used pejoratively but now reclaimed by sections of the community.

 

Chief Minister Sarma has repeatedly defended such actions, saying eviction of “illegal Miyas” will continue. On July 21, he claimed that 1.29 lakh bighas (over 42,500 acres) had already been cleared in the past four years, while nearly 29 lakh bighas (around 9.5 lakh acres) remain under encroachment across Assam.

 

He has maintained that these lands are occupied by “illegal Bangladeshis and doubtful citizens,” a statement that continues to fuel political and communal debate in the state.