‘Assamese may become minority': Himanta flags demographic shifts
Himanta Biswa Sarma
on Monday said native Assamese and Hindus will become a minority in the state in 10 years if demographic changes are not checked. He vowed not to rest until all encroachments by suspected citizens are cleared.
The remarks came during his visit to Gorukhuti in Darrang district, from where his govt started massive eviction drives after coming to power in 2021. Sarma was there to mark four years of the Gorukhuti Multipurpose Agriculture Project, developed on land cleared during the initial eviction.
"If you compare Assam's demography from 1951 to today, the situation is at such a level that the Assamese people will become a minority here in the next 10 years.
Hindus are at risk of becoming minorities in 10 years in the state too. We have to rescue a community which otherwise will go missing," Sarma told reporters.
He said he cannot change the history of infiltration overnight, which he said is for 100 years. But Sarma added that his govt's efforts can somewhere infuse seeds of courage in the Assamese community, which was feeling "frustrated and defeated somewhere".
"We've ignited the flame of fire.
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After me, thousands will carry this forward," he said. "Today, foreigners are being expelled and lands are being freed from encroachments in Assam," he said.
In 2021, hundreds of Bangladesh/East Pakistan origin migrant Muslim families were evicted from govt land in Gorukhuti, on the north bank of the Brahmaputra. From the Gorukhuti eviction to the recent Paikan drive in Goalpara this July, Sarma said his govt faced resistance but pressed ahead.
"We've reclaimed 1.29 lakh bighas and are working to recover more. Twenty-nine lakh bighas are still under encroachment. It's not possible for one Himanta Biswa Sarma to free all these lands in four years," Sarma said. He said the encroached land is held by illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and suspected (doubtful) citizens.
On past criticism, especially over Gorukhuti eviction — where two persons, including a minor, died during police action — the CM claimed the state faced international pressure to halt evictions, but remained firm.
Post-eviction, the govt established a farming initiative following the eviction drive to clear about 77,500 bighas.
Underlining the project's progress, Sarma said Gorukhuti has generated approximately Rs 5.05 crore in revenue in its fourth year and has a deposit base of Rs 7.64 crore. Built around cattle, pig farming, handloom, and other rural industries, he called the project a model for self-sufficiency. He said the govt is also considering establishment of an agricultural science institute at Gorukhuti to train youth in modern organic farming.
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