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India Gazette
13-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"There is concerted effort going on to change demography of constituencies in Assam": CM Sarma
Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 13 (ANI): Amid criticisms of the eviction drive carried out by the BJP-led Assam government to evict the encroachers from the government lands, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that there is a concerted effort to change the demography of the state's constituencies. 'From our recent eviction experience, we have seen that people originally from districts 400 km away have encroached upon lands in predominantly Hindu constituencies. There is a concerted effort to change the demography of our constituencies,' Sarma said. He further said, 'When we go to conduct the eviction, a new fact has come to light. For example, the eviction drive in Goalpara has found that half of the people came from Barpeta and Bongaigaon districts. If I am landless, I will search for land in my district. During the eviction drive in Lakhimpur, it was seen that people had come from South Salmara and Karimganj (now Sribhumi) to Lakhimpur. When the eviction drive was carried out at Garukhuti, you had seen that many people had moved to Chhaygaon, Boko.' 'Why do these people come to different districts, and do they come to the constituencies dominated by the majority people? There should be a proper study on it. Whether these people are coming due to poverty or whether someone is deliberately bringing them for vote, to our majority people dominated constituencies and someone bringing them to reduce our Assamese population to a minority,' the Assam Chief Minister later added. Meanwhile, on July 12, the administration carried out a massive eviction drive in the Paikan Reserve Forest area in Goalpara district and evicted 1080 families, demolished around 2700 structures that illegally encroached around 140 hectares of land of the reserve forest. Earlier, the Assam government also carried out an eviction drive in Dhubri district. In the Assam assembly, the state government had given the data of encroached lands of reserved forest areas in the state, and the data revealed that more than 3.35 lakh hectares of reserved forest lands have been encroached. Opposition political parties, Congress and AIUDF, have criticised the state government for conducting the eviction drive and claimed that the genuine Indian citizens and landless people are being harassed. On the other hand, the Assam State BJP underscores the headstrong commitment of the Assam government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in reclaiming public land from illegal encroachment and repurposing it for the state's socio-economic advancement. 'This renewed administrative assertiveness signals a fundamental departure from prior governmental apathy and underscores a robust political commitment to preserving Assam's territorial sovereignty, cultural heritage, and demographic balance. According to data shared by the Chief Minister, an alarming 8 lakh bighas of government land across Assam continue to remain under unauthorised occupation. In a determined response to this challenge, the Government of Assam has, over the last four years, successfully freed approximately 1,20,000 bighas of land from the control of 25,000 encroachers. Over the past nine years, the BJP-led administration has prioritised the recovery of land belonging to Sattras (Vaishnavite monastic institutions), wildlife sanctuaries, and key public and national institutions,' the state BJP said in a press statement. It also stated that in a significant cultural and spiritual initiative, 130 bighas of land within the premises of the historic Batadrava Satra , the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardev,along with an additional 1,100 bighas in its vicinity, have been reclaimed from encroachers. 'A comprehensive cultural infrastructure project is presently underway at Batadrava, with the Assam Government investing Rs 186 crore to develop a modern complex on the now encroachment-free 180 bighas. The site will feature a central shrine (Guru Asana), a museum, and dedicated spaces showcasing the diverse cultural heritage of Assam's communities, as well as the literary and spiritual contributions of Guru Srimanta Sankardev. Equally notable is the reclamation of 7,800 bighas of land from illegal occupation in Gorukhuti, Sipajhar, on September 20 and 23, 2021. This site, formerly encroached upon, has since been transformed into the Gorukhuti Multipurpose Agricultural Project,' an official said in a press release. 'Under the Government's stewardship, approximately 300 local youths have been engaged as agricultural entrepreneurs or 'Krishi Yodhas'. The project, which includes livestock rearing and cultivation of crops such as mustard, sesame, black gram, and pumpkin, recorded revenue generation of Rs 4.85 crore in the financial year 2024-25. In the conservation domain, eviction operations carried out in Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary have revitalised the sanctuary's ecological balance. As per Sanctuary Director Sonali Ghosh, the habitat restoration has led to the return of iconic species such as rhinoceroses, tigers, wild buffaloes, elephants, and deer, marking the resurgence of biodiversity in the area after nearly four decades,' said in the press statement. The state BJP also said in its press statement that, in Dhubri's Chapar region, nearly 4,000 bighas of encroachment-free land have been earmarked for a thermal power project to be developed by Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL). 'Once operational, the project is expected to generate over 20,000 direct employment opportunities, in addition to creating substantial indirect livelihood avenues for the region's youth. These initiatives collectively reflect the Assam Government's resolute commitment to good governance, cultural preservation, sustainable development, and ecological restoration,' an official statement said. According to an official statement, 'Displaced and landless individuals, affected by evictions, have been relocating 200-300 kilometres away from their native villages and homes, often settling in regions predominantly inhabited by Hindus or Assamese Muslims. This phenomenon hints at the possibility of a deeper, deliberate conspiracy. It is not merely a matter of eviction--it appears to be a calculated strategy aimed at reducing the indigenous population to a minority. Due to such patterns of resettlement, the demographic structure of areas where eviction drives have been conducted is undergoing significant change. A majority of those displaced belong to the Bengali-speaking Muslim community. Evidence suggests that individuals from distant districts are occupying land in these regions.' 'During the eviction drive in North Lakhimpur, it was observed that people from South Salmara and Srirampur had come to illegally occupy land there. Ideally, landless people should first seek land within their own districts. However, the act of migrating to distant districts without informing or obtaining consent from local administrations is nothing short of political aggression. This reveals that such illegal settlers are, in essence, political infiltrators,' a release later added. 'The influx of people from South Salmara, Mankachar, Barpeta, and Srirampur into Upper and Northern Assam to illegally occupy government land seems to be a well-orchestrated plan aimed at rendering the indigenous Assamese population politically marginalised. A striking example is the Sarupathar constituency in Golaghat district, where significant demographic shifts have occurred due to the settlement of people from areas like Dhing and Rupohi in Nagaon,' the state BJP said in the press statement. (ANI)
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Assam government starts eviction drive in Goalpara district
Guwahati: Assam government has started an eviction drive in Goalpara district . With this eviction the district administration will reclaim around 1,040 bighas of land in Paikan Reserve Forest of Krishnai Forest Range in Goalpara. The encroachers were given a July 10 deadline to vacate the area. The Gauhati High court has earlier asked the government to clear encroachment in the forest land. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Mosquito Bracelet Is a Canadian Best-Seller Techno Info Gadget Undo A senior government officer said, "We are clearing 149 hectares. The process is likely to be completed by Sunday. About 2,070 concrete structures need to be dismantled. This is a forest land that has been encroached upon. Heavy deployment of police personnel, along with bulldozers, excavators, and senior officials, is in place to ensure the drive is conducted without disruption.' One of the alleged encroachers tried to end his life while being evicted but was stopped by one of his family members and was rushed to the hospital. Live Events Opposition parties have launched protests over the eviction, the All-India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) alleged that they were stopped by police while they were trying to enter the eviction site. Eight AIUDF MLAs staged a demonstration against the government outside the eviction site. AIUDF MLA Hafiz Rafikul Islam said, "These villages have been marked in the Assam NRC of 1951. People here have voter cards. There are electricity lines, roads, water projects, and government schools. All these in forest land? How can it be forest land? How can these people be encroachers?" Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently said that in the last four years as many as 25,000 acres have been cleared of illegal encroachment. Some organisations claimed that this drive is targeted towards Bengali speaking Muslim. Talking to media persons on Thursday, Sarma said, 'As of now, the Assam government has cleared thousands of bighas of land in the last four years. In my view, it is not less than 25,000 acres of land.' The chief minister said that the government will provide land to the evicted people however they have to prove that they are landless, and they must be Indian citizens. 'They have to be landless in their native places, not at the evicted place.'. He claimed that the recent eviction drive in Lakhimpur in Upper Assam has revealed startling facts. "People from Sribhumi, South Salmara-Mankachar and other minority-dominated areas were residing in the northern Assam district. While Sribhumi is in Barak valley, South Salmara and Mankachar is in Southern was a big conspiracy to change the demography of Lakhimpur." Sarma said'In Goalpara, there are 200-300-years-old temples. But Hindus in the area are a minority,' he added. On Tuesday, the Dhubri district and police administration carried out an eviction drive at three villages under Chapar revenue circle and cleared approx 3500 bighas of land. However, the situation turned violent at Chapar as some of the encroachers opposed the eviction and there was stone pelting on the police and other officials from the administration, which led to damage of two excavators. "Large swathes of land have been encroached upon by people from different places. We must clear those so that the areas can be used for projects for public goods. This was done at Chapar in Dhubri on July 8," said the Chief Minister. The All BTC Minority Students' Union (ABMSU) staged a protest in Bedlangmari, Kokrajhar recently demanding an immediate halt to the ongoing eviction drives across Assam. ABMSU Central General Secretary Jaidul Islam accused the BJP-led Assam government of disproportionately targeting minority communities, particularly Muslims, through eviction drives. 'Since the BJP came to power, many minority families have been made homeless. This is a deliberate attempt to push Muslims out of Assam,' Islam claimed. He further stated that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's policies are 'systematically reducing Muslims to second-class citizens.'
India Gazette
11-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
AIUDF to contest in 35 seats in Assam Assembly polls, says Aminul Islam
Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 11 (ANI): The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has announced that it will contest in 35 out of 126 seats in the upcoming Assam Assembly elections. AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam told ANI that the party has decided to go solo this time in the elections. '... We will fight in 35 seats, and we will go solo this time. Recently, our party MLAs discussed this with our party chief, Badruddin Ajmal. We are preparing for the upcoming assembly polls... All opposition parties should jointly fight against the BJP... Congress or any other party does not have that kind of support to defeat the BJP alone... If Congress thinks of an alliance in the state, AIUDF will definitely consider it,' Islam said. When asked about a possible alliance with the Congress, Islam said that party will definitely consider it. 'Right now, we are not thinking of any alliance. But all opposition parties should unite to take on the BJP,' he added. In the 2021 Assam Assembly elections, the AIUDF had joined hands with the Congress, BPF, and Left parties to form a grand alliance. Earlier on Thursday, the Assam cabinet approved the proposal to enhance the remuneration of Gaon Pradhans from Rs 9,000 per month to Rs 14,000 per month with effect from October 1. This has been done keeping in view the increasing responsibilities of the Gaon Pradhans in Assam and as per the Budget announcement 2025-2026. This will also be extended to Gaon Pradhans of Forest Villages. It also approved the proposal for the implementation of the Gaja Mitra Scheme in the eight most human-elephant conflict-prone districts, namely Goalpara, Udalguri, Nagaon, Baksa, Sonitpur, Golaghat, Jorhat and Biswanath. According to an official release, it is proposed to form a community-based voluntary monitoring and rapid response team in the affected villages. Each team would consist of eight members from the local community in 80 locations for a period of six months during which the Human Conflict is at its peak and coincides with the paddy cultivation season. (ANI)
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
AIUDF MLAs protest eviction in Dhubri
Guwahati: A delegation of eight MLAs from All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), which went to meet the families recently evicted in Dhubri district, was detained by police after they staged a protest blocking NH-17. Over 800 families were illegally occupying around 3,500 bighas of govt land in the Chapar revenue circle in Bilasipara co-district in lower Assam's Dhubri district. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday that around 90% of the families vacated the land voluntarily, and the remaining 10% were evicted by the authorities after they tried to resist the eviction drive. The protest by the AIUDF MLAs and their party workers was staged in the Chapar revenue circle, under which Charuabakra, Santoshpur, and Chirakuti villages fall, demanding proper rehabilitation and sufficient compensation for the evicted families. AIUDF leaders led a large group of demonstrators onto the highway, bringing traffic to a standstill and triggering immediate police intervention. Organising general secretary of the party and Mankachar MLA, Aminul Islam, condemned the police's actions against the protesters, stating, "The police want to silence AIUDF leaders and workers, but our party will always stand by the people and speak out against injustice." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 반지 그 이상의 가치를 월 2만 원으로 만나보세요 굿네이버스 더 알아보기 Undo He said, "We stood today where thousands once lived; now turned homeless by the govt's brutal and unconstitutional eviction at Chapar in Dhubri district. With pain in their eyes and courage in their hearts, they (the evicted people) are fighting for justice, and we stand with them. This injustice will not be forgotten." Islam added that nine years of BJP rule in the state have trampled Articles 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution, leaving over 11,000 families homeless and seeing seven individuals being shot for speaking out. "This isn't development—it's sadistic oppression. We demand compensation, rehabilitation NOW!" he added. Talking about the recent rehabilitation of a few families in upper Assam's Lakhimpur district, Islam said AIUDF is pleased that the govt has provided rehabilitation for the evicted families of Lakhimpur. "However, our question to the govt is, why has no arrangement been made yet to rehabilitate the minority people evicted from Garukhuti, Phuhuratoli, and Hasila Beel?" he added. However, Sarma said on Wednesday that the industrialisation in the area, if successfully done, would benefit the people of the entire region in the district.
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
AIUDF will fight 2026 assembly elections alone, says Jania MLA
1 2 Guwahati: All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has decided not to forge an alliance with any political party for the assembly elections to be held early next year and fight the battle of ballots alone. The organising secretary of the party and MLA of Jania assembly constituency, Hafiz Rafiqul Islam, said except the 2021 assembly elections, the party fought the previous three assembly elections alone. "Similarly, the party has decided to fight the ensuing elections alone, and party president Badruddin Ajmal has approved the decision," he added. However, he said the party will consider it later if any political party comes forward with a proposal of alliance. "AIUDF will not send any proposal for an alliance to any political party," he added. Islam, who is also a member of the 126-member legislative assembly, said the party will contest only 35 out of 126 seats. Since it will contest 35 seats, the party will step into the electoral battleground with new energy and full focus. AIUDF, which was a partner in the Congress-led Mahajot, contested in 20 seats in the 2021 assembly elections and won 16 of them. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like One of the Most Successful Investors of All Time, Warren Buffett, Recommends: 5 Books for Turning... Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Click Here Undo Islam added that the party has also pulled up its socks to contest the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections. "The party has a good position in the Bodoland Territorial Region at present, which indicates that we will be able to score well in the BTC elections," he added. He said, the party headquarters has received a number of applications seeking tickets for the BTC elections. "Regarding all these decisions of the executive meeting, which was held a few days ago, we met Badruddin Ajmal on Wednesday. He has given approval to the decisions," Islam added.
