CM Sarma Reassures Assamese and Indian Citizens on Eviction Drives

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Amid ongoing eviction drives across Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has sought to allay concerns, stating that the government will never evict “any Indian or Assamese people.” The statement, made during a campaign meeting in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), was aimed at reassuring non-tribal people and other communities living in the area that they have equal rights and safety under the current government.

The Chief Minister’s comments came just a day after he made a distinction between different types of land occupation. On Saturday, Sarma said that the government does not consider the unauthorized occupation of public land by indigenous people as encroachment. He clarified that the eviction drives are specifically targeting “illegal foreigners or doubtful citizens.” Sarma stated, “There will be no eviction against any Indian or Assamese people; just keep this in mind,” adding, “Nobody can touch you people till Himanta Biswa Sarma is alive.”

These reassurances follow a series of large-scale eviction drives initiated by the Assam government to clear encroached forest and public lands. The government has been particularly focused on reclaiming areas that are under illegal occupation, with recent operations taking place in Golaghat district. A five-day drive in the Rengma Reserve Forest along the Assam-Nagaland border resulted in the displacement of around 1,500 families, many of whom were from the Muslim community. Another drive in Golaghat cleared nearly 1,000 bighas of forest land, displacing over 350 families.

The Chief Minister has previously stated that the eviction drives are a part of a larger plan to restore ecological balance and protect the rights of indigenous people. He has instructed all Deputy Commissioners to conduct surveys to determine the extent of encroachment in forest lands. Sarma has also been vocal about the long-term nature of the task, estimating that it will take at least ten years to clear all illegal encroachments due to the high volume of occupied land. The state has already reclaimed thousands of acres of land, a move the Chief Minister says is necessary to preserve Assam’s land and demography.