Assam resumes major eviction drive in Goalpara; over 600 Muslim families affected

Goalpara (Assam): The Assam government on Sunday resumed its large-scale eviction drive to clear alleged encroachments inside the Dahikata Reserve Forest in Goalpara district, targeting more than 1,140 bighas (over 376 acres) of forest land. The operation is expected to affect nearly 600 families, most of whom belong to the Bengali-speaking Muslim community, officials confirmed.

Goalpara Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Timung said the eviction is being carried out “peacefully”, adding that residents were issued eviction notices two weeks ago. “Around 580 families had encroached on 1,140 bighas of forest land. Nearly 70 percent of them have already vacated the land after receiving notices, while the rest are in the process of relocation,” Timung told PTI.

The district administration has deployed a large contingent of security personnel and heavy machinery, including JCBs and tractors, to assist in the clearance operation. The affected forest area has been divided into five zones, and resistance was reported only in one of them, officials said.

Authorities clarified that the eviction is being conducted in line with directives from the Gauhati High Court, which had instructed the state to remove all illegal encroachments from reserved forest lands.

According to officials, the majority of those being displaced are Bengali-speaking Muslims, a fact that has added a sensitive communal dimension to the operation. However, the administration has maintained that the drive is purely environmental and legal in nature, aimed at reclaiming protected forest land from illegal occupation.

The eviction comes amid an ongoing statewide campaign by the Assam government to clear encroachments from forest and government lands, a policy that has sparked criticism from opposition parties and rights groups, who allege it disproportionately affects minorities and the poor.

Meanwhile, police continue to maintain tight security around the area to prevent any escalation of tension. The administration has not yet announced any specific rehabilitation plan for the displaced families.

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