Congress leader Debabrata Saikia alleges human rights violations in Assam evictions, writes to NHRC

In a strongly worded letter to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Leader of Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly and senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia has accused the Assam government of orchestrating systemic and unlawful eviction drives that violate constitutional and human rights protections.

Saikia's appeal outlines a comprehensive account of forced displacements, alleging that multiple indigenous, tribal, minority, and erosion-affected communities have been rendered homeless under the pretext of development, with little to no rehabilitation provided.

The Congress leader noted that communities with deep historical roots in Assam — including the Boro, Karbi, Garo, Ahom, Assamese Hindus, Bengali Muslims, and tea tribe populations — have been disproportionately affected. Citing the cultural and ancestral ties of these communities, Saikia argued that their eviction is not just unlawful but also a betrayal of Assam’s multi-ethnic heritage.

“These communities are being driven out of their lands, some of which they have inhabited for generations, without due process or legal safeguards,” Saikia wrote in the letter.

A major incident highlighted in the letter pertains to the July 8 eviction in Dhubri district, where nearly 10,000 Bengali Muslim residents were displaced from over 1,100 acres of land for a solar power project led by the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL). Saikia pointed out that the displaced were relocated to flood-prone areas and that the project remains under judicial review in the Gauhati High Court.

He further alleged that the demolition flouted the Supreme Court’s ruling in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 295 of 2022, which mandates strict procedural safeguards before such actions.

Saikia referred to the 2024 eviction in Katchutali, Sonapur, where two villagers were killed and 33 injured following police firing during a clearance drive in a tribal-designated area.

In another case from Mikir Bamuni, Nagaon, between 2019 and 2024, Saikia alleged that farmland was destroyed for another solar project, violating both environmental and tenancy laws.

One of the most serious allegations in Saikia’s letter concerns the illegal diversion of forest land in Sivasagar and Hailakandi districts. He claimed that then forest official M.K. Yadava allowed the construction of a commando battalion camp without necessary central government approvals, violating the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Although the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has reportedly ordered legal proceedings, Saikia noted that the damage to protected forest land is irreversible.

Saikia’s letter points to evictions in Sixth Schedule tribal areas such as Karbi Anglong, North Cachar Hills, and Kokrajhar, where Gram Sabha consultations were allegedly bypassed, violating constitutional protections and tribal autonomy laws.

He highlighted the displacement of over 10,000 people in Hawaipur and Phuloni, and the controversial transfer of 9,000 bighas in Umrongso for a private cement company project, both executed without community approval.

Saikia documented several instances where vulnerable families were evicted without warning or resettlement:

93 families, including erosion victims, removed from Bakrikuchi (Nalbari) on June 30.

7,000 evicted from wetland areas in Goalpara.

220 families, including Christian tribal families with PMAY-G housing, evicted from Lakhimpur in July.

Ongoing evictions in Alomganj Gaon under the “Advantage Assam 2.0” industrial initiative, affecting Muslims and erosion-hit communities.

He accused the administration of targeting Christian tribal converts, in violation of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The Congress leader cited key constitutional articles — including Article 14 (Right to Equality) and Article 21 (Right to Life and Livelihood) — and referenced landmark Supreme Court judgments (Chameli Singh v. State of U.P., Francis Coralie Mullin v. The Administrator) to argue that the right to shelter and dignity are fundamental and inviolable.

He also noted India’s obligations under various international conventions, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), which mandate protection of housing and livelihood rights.

Calling the government's conduct “inhumane and unconstitutional,” Saikia urged the NHRC to immediately launch an inquiry under its powers outlined in the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. He warned that such unchecked evictions threaten the democratic fabric of the state and risk turning Assam into “an authoritarian regime devoid of legal accountability.”