Assam: Eviction Drive Displaces Over 580 Families in Forest Reclamation Push
Assam’s eviction drive in Dahikata Reserve Forest displaces over 580 families, triggering debates on conservation, land rights, and alleged communal targeting.
GOALPARA– Amid tight security and mounting pleas for mercy, the Assam government launched a sweeping eviction operation in the Dahikata Reserve Forest here on Sunday, demolishing 588 illegal structures and reclaiming 1,140 bighas (over 376 acres) of encroached woodland.
The two-day drive, affecting nearly 600 families, has reignited debates over land rights, environmental conservation, and alleged communal targeting in the state’s border districts.
The operation, which began at dawn with the rumble of excavators and tractors, proceeded largely peacefully under the watch of over 1,000 forest officials and police personnel. Notices had been served more than 15 days prior to around 580 households, prompting about 70% to vacate voluntarily and salvage their belongings.
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By midday, heavy machinery had razed the remaining structures, leaving behind rubble-strewn clearings where modest homes once stood. Goalpara Deputy Commissioner Prodip Timung described the process as “smooth,” with the full clearance expected by Monday evening.
“We are acting in line with Gauhati High Court directives to protect our forests and biodiversity,” he told reporters at the site.
The Dahikata Reserve, spanning 1,685 hectares, has long been a hotspot for human-elephant conflicts, with encroachments exacerbating wildlife incursions and deforestation. Divisional Forest Officer Tejas Mariswami emphasized the ecological urgency, noting that the reclaimed land will soon be afforested to restore habitat and curb such incidents.
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“This is reserve forest by reserve forest; we’ve already cleared eight such areas in Goalpara,” he added, highlighting the state’s broader campaign that has freed over 1.29 lakh bighas statewide since Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s administration took office in 2021.
Yet, for the displaced families—many of whom have called the forest home for generations—the eviction feels like a devastating blow without recourse. “We are being targeted just because we are Muslims,” wailed one woman amid the chaos, cradling her child on the debris of her leveled hut.
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An elderly resident echoed the sentiment: “This land is our only home. If we had other land, we wouldn’t be here. Now we have nowhere to go.”
Reports indicate no immediate rehabilitation plans were in place, stranding hundreds, including vulnerable children and seniors, in limbo. Local protests erupted briefly, with some attempting to block the machinery; a handful were detained by police.
The drive follows a brief statewide pause after the mysterious death of music icon Zubeen Garg in Singapore, but CM Sarma had vowed its resumption earlier this month, dismissing delays as “conspiracies” by certain groups.
Human rights advocates and opposition voices have slammed the operation as “shameful,” urging federal intervention for fair resettlement.
As dust settles in Dahikata, the eviction underscores Assam’s precarious balance between conservation imperatives and humanitarian concerns. With nearly 29 lakh bighas still under alleged occupation statewide, more drives loom on the horizon, testing the government’s resolve amid rising social tensions. Local NGOs are mobilizing aid for the affected, but for now, the forest reclaims its silence—one shattered home at a time.
