Forest Encroachment Drive Displaces Families in Golaghat, Raises Questions on State Amenities
Golaghat, Assam: A massive eviction drive to clear alleged encroachments on nearly 1,500 hectares of forest land in Assam’s Golaghat district entered its second day on Wednesday, impacting an estimated 1,500 families, predominantly from the Muslim community. The operation, targeting settlements within the Rengma Reserve Forest near the Assam-Nagaland border, aims to reclaim what authorities assert is illegally occupied land.
The large-scale exercise, which commenced on Tuesday in the Bidyapur area, extended into the Sonari Beel and Pithaghat zones today. Officials involved in the operation have maintained that the eviction has proceeded largely peacefully thus far. The initiative is a collaborative effort by the forest department, supported by the Golaghat district administration, Assam Police, and undertaken in coordination with the Nagaland government. The goal is to reclaim approximately 11,000 bighas of forest land.
Despite the government’s firm stance on the illegality of the settlements, officials have acknowledged the paradoxical presence of numerous state-sponsored amenities within the affected villages. These include houses constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), water connections provided by the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), government schools operating under the Sarba Siksha Abhiyan (SSA), a sub-health centre established under the National Health Mission (NHM), along with electricity connections, markets, mosques, madrassas, and churches.
A district official indicated that while around 2,000 families resided in the area, eviction notices were served to approximately 1,500. The remaining residents, reportedly from Bodo, Nepali, and Manipuri communities, possess Forest Rights Committee (FRC) certificates. The official stated, “About 80% of the families served with notices have already vacated their homes. We are only demolishing structures left behind.”
Conversely, many local residents have vehemently contested the government’s narrative, asserting that their ancestors were originally settled in the region by previous administrations. They cite the tenures of the Janata Party in 1978–79 and the first Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) government in the mid-1980s as periods when such settlements were encouraged. The establishment of a government primary school in 1978 is frequently presented as evidence of the long-standing nature of their habitation.
Several displaced individuals have expressed their willingness to cooperate with the authorities but have pleaded for rehabilitation. “We only asked the government to relocate us. Now we’re staying in tents with no drinking water or food. It’s inhuman,” lamented Ali Kazi, one of the many affected by the drive.
Officials have conceded that government infrastructure, including power and water connections, was indeed established in the area, even post-2016 when the Bharatiya Janata Party assumed power in the state. A forest department officer, admitting to the anomaly, stated, “I don’t know why these facilities were sanctioned. They were already here when I took charge.”
To facilitate the eviction process across 12 villages, the extensive area has been systematically divided into nine distinct zones. A significant security apparatus, including the deployment of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, has been mobilised to prevent any potential unrest. A senior police official from the Assam Police headquarters has been specially stationed in Golaghat to closely monitor the law and order situation throughout the operation.
Meanwhile, the Nagaland government has proactively issued advisories to its bordering districts, urging them to prevent any displaced families from the ongoing eviction drive from crossing into its territory. This development comes on the heels of information presented to the Assam Assembly earlier this year, which revealed that over 83,000 hectares of state land were under the occupation of four neighbouring states, with Nagaland reportedly holding the largest share, approximately 59,490 hectares.
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