Why in News?

The Assam government’s intensified eviction drive targeting alleged encroachments on forest and government lands, particularly by Bengali-speaking Muslims, has sparked political controversy and raised regional tensions, affecting inter-State relations in Northeast India.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Genesis and Timeline of Eviction Drives
• Socio-Political Roots of the Eviction Policy
• Intensification and Polarisation
• Regional Impact and Neighbouring States’ Reaction
• Evictions and Inter-State Border Disputes
• Conclusion

Genesis and Timeline of Eviction Drives:

• State government’s political commitment:
  • The current govt came to power in Assam in 2016, with the slogan to protect jaati (community), maati (land), and bheti (hearth).
  • The first eviction drive began in September 2016, following a Gauhati High Court order to reclaim forestlands near Kaziranga National Park.
• Subsequent developments:
  • A major incident in 2021 at Gorukhuti in Darrang district resulted in two deaths, raising concerns over human rights.
  • The drive resumed in June 2025, coinciding with corruption charges against the current government, including alleged irregularities in a Gir cow distribution scheme at Gorukhuti.

Socio-Political Roots of the Eviction Policy:

• Long-standing narrative:
  • Evictions are part of a broader anti-infiltration narrative targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims — often derogatorily labeled as "Bangladeshi" or “Miya”.
  • The party in government accuses the previous state government of allowing illegal settlement for vote-bank politics.
• Historical backdrop:
  • Assam's political discourse has been shaped by the Assam Agitation (1979–1985).
  • The Assam Accord set March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for identifying and deporting illegal immigrants.

Intensification and Polarisation:

• Aggressive measures:
  • The eviction has affected not only Muslims but also non-Muslim communities.
  • Silsako Beel - a major wetland in Guwahati, saw demolition of houses of 130 families, including non-Muslims in 2022.
  • Between 2016 and July 2025, at least five people have died during these drives.
• Rhetoric and data justification: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma refers to “land jihad” and claims that
  • 15,288.52 bighas of satra (Vaishnav monastery) land are encroached by people of doubtful citizenship.
  • 3,620.9 sq km of forestland under encroachment (as of March 2024).
• Exemptions and resettlements:
  • The Forest Rights Act 2006 protections apply to tribal dwellers before 2005.
  • Ahom families evicted along with Muslims were fast-tracked for resettlement.

Regional Impact and Neighbouring States’ Reaction:

• Northeast States on alert:
  • Neighbouring states—Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram—have heightened border vigilance.
  • Nagaland NGOs accused Assam of pushing evictees into their territory.
• Preventive actions:
  • Nagaland police intercepted 200 vehicles carrying suspected illegal migrants.
  • Some extremist groups in Nagaland formed task forces to patrol borders.
  • Inner Line Permit issuance was made stricter by bordering States.

Evictions and Inter-State Border Disputes:

• Encroachments and claims:
  • The issue ties into unresolved border disputes among NE States, especially where migrants have allegedly settled.
  • 83,000 hectares of Assam’s land reportedly occupied by Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Meghalaya.
• Mutual allegations:
  • Other States accuse Assam of using migrants to settle disputed border lands.
  • In turn, they have evicted suspected migrants, pushing them back to Assam.
• Judicial intervention: Recently, the Gauhati High Court ordered all five States to form high-level committees for coordinated eviction from forestlands.

Conclusion:

The Assam eviction drive is not just an administrative exercise but a highly politicised and regionally sensitive issue with implications for inter-State relations, ethnic tensions, and borderland governance in the Northeast.

It underscores the delicate balance between land rights, environmental conservation, identity politics, and human rights.