Assam CM vows relentless eviction drive to reclaim land for indigenous people

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has once again asserted his government’s commitment to reclaiming illegally occupied lands across the state, pledging an intensified eviction campaign in the coming weeks.

Declaring that “every inch of encroached land will be reclaimed,” Sarma said the effort is rooted in his deep resolve to protect the rights and future of the indigenous people of Assam.

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“I’m addicted to protecting our lands. Every Assamese must rise to reclaim what’s rightfully ours. I am addictively committed to reclaiming illegally encroached forest and wetlands and return them to our people,” the Chief Minister told reporters.

He added that more eviction drives are scheduled over the next month as part of the government’s aggressive approach.

Sarma stated, “In Assam’s history, after Bishnuram Medhi, I am the only Chief Minister to have reclaimed such vast land from illegal encroachments,” referring to the former CM known for his strong land protection policies in the 1950s.

The CM’s renewed push comes amid ongoing concerns about land rights, demographic changes, and the balance between development and displacement in Assam.

Previous eviction drives in areas like Sipajhar, Nagaon, and Hojai have led to both praise and criticism — while supporters applaud the restoration of land to indigenous communities, human rights groups and opposition parties have expressed alarm over the lack of rehabilitation, the use of force, and the humanitarian toll.

The state government has argued that these lands — many of them forested areas, wetlands, or community grazing zones — have been illegally occupied over decades, often by people without proper documentation.

The evictions are unfolding against the backdrop of Assam’s ongoing National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the state’s push for land reforms that prioritize indigenous ownership and usage rights.