Bulldozers demolished multiple properties in Assam’s Goalpara district on Sunday, part of a large-scale eviction operation that threatens to leave 580 families homeless. The drive in the Dahikata Reserve Forest area aims to clear around 1,140 bighas (approximately 153 hectares) of land considered to be illegally “encroached.”
Videos shared by BJP Assam General Secretary Pallab Lochan Das depict bulldozers tearing down makeshift shelters under heavy security presence. Officials indicated that the operation could span two days.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma commented on the eviction on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to protect and restore every inch of our forest land. Encroachments on the 153 hectares (1,143 bighas) of Dahikata RF, Goalpara, will be evicted immediately, and comprehensive steps will follow to reinstate forest cover and revive biodiversity.”
Sarma characterized the eviction as a decisive action for the future of Assam. District officials reported to The Indian Express that the targeted families are accused of illegally occupying forest land. More than 1,000 forest and police personnel have been deployed to facilitate the operation. Critics have raised concerns that the evictions do not comply with Supreme Court guidelines and fail to provide rehabilitation for those displaced.
The state government has framed the eviction campaign as necessary to counter what it describes as a “demographic invasion” by a specific religious community. Officials noted that over 900 hectares of forest land in the district have been recovered this year through various clearance efforts, impacting thousands of families. Affected families have claimed to Maktoob that the demolition drives specifically target Muslims.
The article originally published on Maktoob media.
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