Assam launches massive eviction drive in forest belt; over 2,000 families face displacement amid ‘demographic invasion’ claims

In one of the most expansive and contentious eviction operations witnessed in Assam in recent years, the state government on July 29 began clearing thousands of residents from the Rengma Reserve Forest in the Uriamghat area of Golaghat district. Over 2,000 families —predominantly Bengali-origin Muslims — face immediate displacement in the first phase of the drive, backed by heavy police presence and political rhetoric around “demographic invasion.”

The operation is part of a two-phase clearance targeting around 15,000 bighas (approximately 4,900 acres) of forest land allegedly encroached upon by nearly 2,700 families. The first phase, underway since morning, comes after the Assam Forest Department issued seven-day notices and carved the land into nine designated blocks for systematic eviction.

Over 1,500 personnel — including Assam Police, commandos, and forest protection forces —have been mobilized for the operation. Officials say the eviction was planned meticulously, with more than 90% of affected residents already vacating the area ahead of latest deployment.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has personally led a public campaign in recent weeks justifying the action, describing the settlement as part of a “systematic demographic shift” driven by “people of one religion” from Central and Western Assam into the state’s eastern belt. The area, he claimed, had seen illegal forest clearance for betel nut cultivation, threatening both ecological balance and demographic character.

The chief minister’s narrative has drawn criticism for framing a law-and-order issue in communal and ethnic terms. Despite assertions from the BJP MLA of Sarupathar, Biswajit Phukan, that some non-Muslim groups — including 42 Manipuri Muslim and 92 Nepali families — are also being evicted, concerns about religious and ethnic targeting persist.

He added that 150 Bodo families residing in the same area would not be evicted as they possess forest rights certificates under the 2006 Forest Rights Act.

Phukan also confirmed that the All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) had engaged with the chief minister during a recent site visit. The government, he said, may consider compensation for families with proof of residency before 1971 — but only after the eviction is completed.

The drive has already sent ripples across the inter-state border. With the affected forest region abutting Nagaland, authorities there have placed police and district personnel on alert to prevent a spillover of displaced persons.

Adding to the tension, the Niki Sumi faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) issued a statement accusing the Assam government of using the eviction as a cover for “strategic occupation” of disputed land along the Assam-Nagaland border. The rebel group termed the exercise a “well-planned and precisely executed” attempt to establish permanent control over contested areas.

This latest eviction is part of a pattern in Assam, where successive drives since 2021—particularly under the current government—have disproportionately affected Bengali-origin Muslim communities.

While the state maintains it is enforcing forest protection and curbing illegal encroachments, critics warn that such actions, couched in communal undertones, risk deepening existing social divides and inflaming ethnic tensions.