The Crossbill News Desk
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that people evicted from allegedly encroached land in the state will have their names deleted from the electoral rolls.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, August 24, and reiterating the same in a post on X, Sarma said that the government would ensure that evicted families do not return to reclaim land, particularly in Upper Assam.
“Our strategy now is to ensure that infiltrators, including those already evicted, do not return to encroach upon lands in Upper Assam, the way they did in Lower Assam over the past few decades,” Sarma said in a post on X.
He added that the government’s priority was to protect Upper Assam and prevent it from experiencing what he described as the demographic changes witnessed in Middle and Lower Assam.
“First of all, those who are evicted will not be included in the voter list. Their modus operandi is to target Upper and North Assam. We are making every effort to protect Upper Assam so that it does not face the same situation as Middle and Lower Assam. Our generation, along with the one before us, failed to safeguard Middle and Lower Assam. But now we are determined to protect Upper Assam. As soon as they are evicted, their names will be struck off from the voter list…The illegal immigrants settled in Margherita will certainly be evicted,” he said.
According to a report in The Assam Tribune, Sarma stated that discussions were underway with the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police regarding proposed eviction drives in Margherita in Tinsukia district.
He said that “those who came from outside and have no connection with this place” would be removed. Stressing the rights of local communities, he added that groups such as the Moran, Matak, Koch Rajbongshi, Ahom, and Gorkha had been living in the region for generations and that failure to grant them land rights would lead to unrest.
Earlier this month, on Independence Day, Sarma had referred to ochinaki manuh, or “unknown people/unknown community,” as a growing concern for Assam’s socio-political and economic fabric.
Without naming them directly, he alleged that Miya Muslims were engaged in various forms of “jihad,” including “love jihad” and “land jihad.”
He further claimed that the government had reclaimed 1.2 lakh bighas of land from this “unknown community” and vowed to continue what he called the fight for the Assamese people.
Assam is divided into five regional zones: Upper Assam, North Assam, Central Assam, Lower Assam, and the Barak Valley. Sarma has frequently alleged that “illegal Bangladeshis” are attempting to shift into Upper Assam, while his government has intensified eviction operations since the BJP came to power in 2016.
According to reports by The Wire and Scroll.in, the drives have overwhelmingly targeted Miya Muslims—Muslims of Bengali origin residing in Lower Assam—displacing more than 15,000 families and leading to at least eight deaths in recent years.
The Wire also reported that Sarma’s speeches and social media posts have been linked to a rise in communal incidents. Citing findings by India Hate Lab, it said his statements have fuelled at least 18 incidents across 14 districts, including public celebrations of evictions, hate speech online, and calls for further demolitions.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, August 24, and reiterating the same in a post on X, Sarma said that the government would ensure that evicted families do not return to reclaim land, particularly in Upper Assam.
“Our strategy now is to ensure that infiltrators, including those already evicted, do not return to encroach upon lands in Upper Assam, the way they did in Lower Assam over the past few decades,” Sarma said in a post on X.
He added that the government’s priority was to protect Upper Assam and prevent it from experiencing what he described as the demographic changes witnessed in Middle and Lower Assam.
“First of all, those who are evicted will not be included in the voter list. Their modus operandi is to target Upper and North Assam. We are making every effort to protect Upper Assam so that it does not face the same situation as Middle and Lower Assam. Our generation, along with the one before us, failed to safeguard Middle and Lower Assam. But now we are determined to protect Upper Assam. As soon as they are evicted, their names will be struck off from the voter list…The illegal immigrants settled in Margherita will certainly be evicted,” he said.
According to a report in The Assam Tribune, Sarma stated that discussions were underway with the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police regarding proposed eviction drives in Margherita in Tinsukia district.
He said that “those who came from outside and have no connection with this place” would be removed. Stressing the rights of local communities, he added that groups such as the Moran, Matak, Koch Rajbongshi, Ahom, and Gorkha had been living in the region for generations and that failure to grant them land rights would lead to unrest.
Earlier this month, on Independence Day, Sarma had referred to ochinaki manuh, or “unknown people/unknown community,” as a growing concern for Assam’s socio-political and economic fabric.
Without naming them directly, he alleged that Miya Muslims were engaged in various forms of “jihad,” including “love jihad” and “land jihad.”
He further claimed that the government had reclaimed 1.2 lakh bighas of land from this “unknown community” and vowed to continue what he called the fight for the Assamese people.
Assam is divided into five regional zones: Upper Assam, North Assam, Central Assam, Lower Assam, and the Barak Valley. Sarma has frequently alleged that “illegal Bangladeshis” are attempting to shift into Upper Assam, while his government has intensified eviction operations since the BJP came to power in 2016.
According to reports by The Wire and Scroll.in, the drives have overwhelmingly targeted Miya Muslims—Muslims of Bengali origin residing in Lower Assam—displacing more than 15,000 families and leading to at least eight deaths in recent years.
The Wire also reported that Sarma’s speeches and social media posts have been linked to a rise in communal incidents. Citing findings by India Hate Lab, it said his statements have fuelled at least 18 incidents across 14 districts, including public celebrations of evictions, hate speech online, and calls for further demolitions.
Comments (0)
Leave a Comment