Over 1,100 Families Evicted In Assam ? What We Know About The Drive In Nagaon, Hojai And Golaghat

Over 1,100 families have been evicted from forest land across Assam’s Nagaon, Hojai and Golaghat districts in a two-day demolition drive, according to officials and media reports. The affected families were predominantly Bengali-speaking Muslims.

The drive took place on October 17 and 18, with authorities demolishing houses in several locations. Officials said the operation could continue.

According to The Daily Pioneer, around 500-600 families were evicted from the Lutumari Longjap Reserve Forest in Nagaon on Sunday, October 18. A day earlier, 547 families were removed across the three districts — 336 in Nagaon, 152 in Hojai and 59 in Golaghat.

Several residents moved their belongings before excavators reached the sites. No untoward incidents were reported during the operation.

What Do Residents Say?

Residents have disputed the state government’s claim that they were encroaching on forest land. They said their families had lived in the areas for decades and that their elders had worked as labourers for the Forest Department.

Some residents also claimed that the government had settled them on the land under the taungya system, introduced during the colonial period. Abdul Noor, whose house was demolished, said his family was allotted land in 1974.

Religious structures were also affected. Residents said more than 10 mosques, some of them decades old, were demolished during the drive.

What Did The Gauhati High Court Order?

The affected families had approached the Gauhati High Court to challenge the eviction proceedings but did not receive relief. In June, the court directed them to vacate the land within 30 days.

The court held that the public interest in protecting forests outweighed private claims to residence inside reserve forests. It also directed that electricity connections be disconnected after the deadline.

The order cleared the way for the latest demolitions in Lutumari and other locations covered by the drive.

Which Areas Have Seen Earlier Evictions?

The latest operation follows an eviction drive in the greater Lutumari area in November last year, which affected around 1,700 families.

In Hojai, 152 households were removed from the Jamuna-Maudanga Reserve Forest following an earlier phase of evictions this year. In Golaghat, the remaining 59 families in No. 2 Negheribil were evicted after a court ruling in favour of the Assam government.

The Daily Pioneer reported that the latest drive was part of the state’s ongoing action to recover forest and government land from alleged encroachers.

Data compiled from official sources show that around 19,000 families have been evicted from government land in Assam over the past decade of BJP rule. Most of those affected were Muslims. The state government has maintained that the eviction drives are aimed at recovering forest and government land from encroachers.