Assam’s Land Grab Drama: A Battle for Soil and Soul

By Nava Thakuria*

Bulldozers vs. Dissent: Assam’s Eviction Saga Heats Up

Guwahati: In a whirlwind of bulldozers and bold promises, Assam has found itself at the heart of a contentious battle to wrest back thousands of acres of government land from the grip of encroachers. From the lush expanses of the Paikan reserve forest to the sacred grounds of Vaishnavite monasteries, the State’s eviction drives have stirred both applause and outrage, painting a vivid picture of a region grappling with its past and present. Guwahati, the nerve centre of this unfolding drama, is abuzz with debates over land, identity, and power.

Leading the charge is Assam’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, a firebrand Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader whose resolve to reclaim government land has been as unyielding as the monsoon rains. Since taking the helm four years ago, Sarma claims his government has freed over 25,000 acres—equivalent to 40,000 bighas—of public land, including ecologically sensitive forest areas, from illegal occupation. His latest target is an ambitious reclamation of 4,400 acres across Barpeta, Nagaon, Bajali, and Lakhimpur districts, land that belongs to 922 Sattras, the revered Vaishnavite monasteries central to Assam’s cultural and spiritual identity. Sarma has pointed fingers at illegal immigrants, particularly Muslims of Bangladeshi origin, accusing them of encroaching on these lands during the previous Congress-led governments. His rhetoric is unflinching, his mission clear: no inch of government land will remain in unauthorised hands.

The most recent chapter in this saga unfolded on 12 July 2025 in the Paikan reserve forest, nestled in the Krishnai Forest Range of Goalpara district. Here, the State reclaimed 1,035 bighas of ecologically vital land from over a thousand families. The operation, executed with precision under Gauhati High Court directives, saw over 90% of the encroachers vacate their settlements before the bulldozers rolled in. The district administration had issued notices months in advance, with a final deadline of 10 July, ensuring the process adhered to legal protocols. Yet, the sight of homes being razed and families displaced has sparked a firestorm of criticism.

The opposition Congress party, led by State president Gaurav Gogoi, has cried foul, labelling the evictions as “inhuman” and accusing the BJP government of orchestrating a grand scheme to hand over 40,000 bighas of reclaimed land to corporate giants under the guise of development. A Congress delegation recently met Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, urging him to intervene and halt what they describe as the dispossession of tribal, indigenous, and minority communities from their “rightful properties.” Meanwhile, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), led by Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, took to the streets of Chapar, where thousands, including legislators, protested the evictions, amplifying the voices of the displaced.

On the other side of the divide, voices like the Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA) have hailed the government’s actions as long overdue. The nationalist forum argues that Assam’s indigenous population stands firmly behind the eviction drives, which they see as a rectification of decades of governmental inaction. However, the PPFA also calls for compassion, urging the State to provide lawful compensation to evicted families. The forum’s statement took a sharp jab at certain media outlets for their reluctance to use terms like “Bangladesh-origin” or “East Pakistan-origin” when describing the evicted communities, instead opting for the softer “Bengali-origin Muslim community.” “Are they afraid of stirring resentment among Asomiyas, or do they think they can fool us?” the PPFA quipped, questioning the media’s choice of words.

Adding a green hue to the narrative is wildlife conservationist Soumyadeep Datta, whose accolades include awards for his environmental activism. Datta has lauded the government’s efforts to free ecologically sensitive lands like the Paikan reserve forest, arguing that large-scale encroachments, often backed by Congress leaders decades ago for electoral gains, have wreaked havoc on Assam’s natural heritage. He recounted how some evicted individuals, in candid moments on live television, expressed nostalgia for the Congress era when their settlements went unchallenged. Datta minced no words, demanding that the Congress apologise for its past role in enabling encroachments, which he believes has left both the land and its illegal settlers in a precarious state today.

The encroachers themselves are no monolithic group. While the government points to illegal immigrants, particularly of Bangladeshi origin, the reality is a complex tapestry of motives and histories. Some settlers were encouraged by political patronage in the past, lured by the promise of land and electoral clout. Others, driven by poverty or displacement, saw Assam’s vast tracts as a refuge. Their power, if it can be called that, lies not in wealth or influence but in numbers and the political capital they represent—a fact that has made the eviction drives a tightrope walk for the government.

As Assam navigates this fraught terrain, the question looms: can the State reclaim its land without tearing at its social fabric? Sarma’s government remains undeterred, backed by court orders and a vocal section of the populace. Yet, the protests, the pleas to the Governor, and the media’s cautious phrasing suggest that this is more than a battle for land—it’s a struggle over identity, history, and the future of Assam. For now, the bulldozers keep rolling, but the echoes of dissent are growing louder, promising a saga that is far from over.

– global bihari bureau