Assam eviction drive in Goalpara displaces over 1,000 families in single operation

Assam’s administration has executed its fifth mass eviction operation in just over a month, uprooting 1,080 families from the Paikan Reserve Forest in Goalpara district on July 12.

This move cleared roughly 140 hectares (1,040 bighas) of allegedly encroached land under the Krishnai range, resulting in the demolition of approximately 2,700 structures.

Forest officials say the objective is to restore elephant corridors and prevent human-wildlife conflict, citing a Gauhati High Court directive that mandated a crackdown on encroachments across key reserve zones.

Heavy gear—including about 36 bulldozers, multiple excavators, and over 1,000 security personnel—were deployed to enforce the move, which reportedly proceeded with minimal resistance after prior evacuation notices were issued.

Most of the residents, predominantly Bengali-origin Muslim settlers from Assam’s riverine char areas, voluntarily vacated their homes after receiving eviction warnings.

A few, however, remained and watched as their homes—many once built under government-supported infrastructure schemes like schools and drinking water projects—were razed. Eyewitnesses described scenes of quiet resignation as bulldozers moved through Bidyapara and Betbari zones.

Though some residents attempted self-harm in the face of displacement, officials intervened.

This evacuation is part of a broader campaign by the Assam government: in June, 1,400 families were displaced in Dhubri, and similar operations in Nalbari and Lakhimpur have contributed to a cumulative displacement of over 3,300 families across four districts in July alone.

While state officials emphasize that the clearances align with legal orders and conservation goals, critics argue the evictions disproportionately affect marginalised minority communities, lacking adequate rehabilitation or financial support.

Opposition leaders and student groups such as AIUDF and AAMSU have called the operation inhumane and unconstitutional, especially in light of the absence of alternative housing options or official compensation.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma defended the campaign, stressing that over 25,000 hectares of encroached land have been reclaimed in the past four years.

He cited court mandates and questioned whether settlements were part of an orchestrated demographic shift rather than economic necessity. He also noted industrial plans—like a 3,400 MW thermal power plant in Dhubri—that justified the land reclamation drive.

Ongoing criticism focuses on the lack of visible rehabilitation schemes. Evictees have reported receiving no formal compensation or aid.

Many have relocated belongings to nearby villages and plan to live under tarps or temporary shelters while waiting for resettlement promises to materialize .