Guwahati, Aug 28, 2025|SKY LINK TIMES
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s aggressive eviction campaign has reclaimed more than 1.5 lakh bighas of government and forest land, displacing over 50,000 people since its launch in 2021. The BJP government says the move is essential to safeguard indigenous rights and counter illegal immigration from Bangladesh, while critics accuse it of communal targeting and political manoeuvring ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
The drives have dismantled thousands of structures across Goalpara, Kamrup, Darrang, and Golaghat, including Bandarmatha and Renga reserve forests. Sarma claims the reclaimed land protects Assam’s ecological balance and indigenous identity, while ensuring “suspected foreigners or doubtful citizens” are removed.
The government has announced compensation of up to ₹10 lakh for affected families, though Opposition parties allege poor implementation.
Impact of the Assam Eviction Drive
- 🌾 1.5 lakh bighas reclaimed, 50,000+ people evicted since 2021.
- 🌍 CM Sarma links Assam Eviction Drive to threats from “illegal migration” and “foreign elements.”
- 🏠 Compensation promised: ₹10 lakh for RCC houses, ₹5 lakh for Assam-type, ₹1 lakh for kaccha houses.
- ⚖️ Critics allege targeting of Bengali-speaking Muslims, terming it communal and unconstitutional.
- 🗳️ With Assembly polls due in 2026, the drives are seen as electorally strategic for BJP.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the campaign, warning that demographic imbalance threatens Northeast India’s security. Meanwhile, Opposition leaders and activists including Prashant Bhushan and Akhil Gogoi call the drives a “humanitarian crisis” and allege a ploy to hand over land to corporations.
The debate over Assam’s eviction drive has thus become a flashpoint — reclaiming land on one hand, while sparking fears of displacement, communal rifts, and electoral polarisation on the other.
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