Assam Govt Launches Major Eviction Drive in Biswanath Chariali district

The Assam government on Sunday carried out a large-scale eviction drive in Biswanath district, clearing nearly 175 bighas (about 23 hectares) of land from the Japariguri Village Grazing Reserve (VGR).

According to district officials, around 309 families had been living on the reserve land, and were served eviction notices on August 1, giving them 15 days to vacate.

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“The eviction drive is going on peacefully. Most families left on their own and dismantled their homes. We have demolished the remaining structures,” District Commissioner Simanta Kumar Das told reporters. ,

The operation, which began at dawn, involved nearly 600 security personnel, 20 excavators and several tractors. A tea garden that had sprung up in the encroached zone was also cleared, with officials saying the land will be used for an afforestation project.

While officials said the evicted settlers were largely from the Bengali-speaking Muslim community, the drive has triggered sharp reactions.

The All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) General Secretary Kuddus Ali Sarkar, who visited the site, condemned the operation as “inhuman” and demanded that rehabilitation be ensured before any eviction.

The eviction drive comes against the backdrop of a politically charged discourse in Assam over land and identity.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in his Independence Day address earlier this week, warned against “demographic changes” in upper and northern Assam, attributing them to what he described as “aggression” by the community.

The state has witnessed similar eviction drives in recent years, including the high-profile operations in Darrang’s Dholpur in 2021 and in Hojai and Nagaon districts, which often triggered protests.