ASSAM EVICTIONS RAISE HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS

Fri 11 July 2025:

Hundreds of families, mostly Bengali-origin Muslims, have been displaced in recent operations, sparking fears over what critics call an undemocratic process and a lack of humane consideration.

Hundreds of families, the majority of whom are Bengali-origin Muslims, have been forcibly displaced from their homes in Assam, India, following large-scale eviction drives conducted by the state government. The operations, which saw bulldozers demolish homes in districts like Nalbari and Goalpara, have left residents destitute and raised what one journalist has called a “deep concern” for human rights and due process in the region.

The government, led by the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), maintains the evictions are necessary to clear illegally encroached government land for public projects, including wetlands restoration and a major power project. However, affected residents and human rights advocates argue the actions are sudden, brutal, and lack adequate rehabilitation plans, effectively shattering lives and leaving families, including children and the elderly, without shelter.

Nazir Ganaie, head journalist at the Kashmir Observer, described the situation as a “deep concern for the whole nation,” questioning the humanity of uprooting people from lands they have occupied for decades.

The most recent drives occurred in Nalbari’s Bakrikuchi area, where 93 families were evicted, and in Goalpara district, where the administration aimed to remove over 600 families from a wetland area. While authorities claim advance notices were issued, many residents deny this, stating the demolitions came as a shock.

“The brutal eviction has come up suddenly and their homes were damaged and their dreams were shattered,” Ganaie stated, relaying the sentiments of those affected.

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A Pattern of Displacement

These events are not isolated. According to Ganaie, the Assam government, under a Chief Minister known for his vocal stance against Muslims, has demolished over 1 400 homes belonging to Muslim families to make way for a mega power project headed by the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited.

He noted a historical pattern where “marginalised people of India, whether they’re Dalits or Muslims, get affected” by such large-scale development projects.

The administration in Goalpara stated that notices were issued in 2023 and 2024. Goalpara DC Khanindra Chaudhury told reporters the land was a wetland and illegally encroached upon. Similarly, in Nalbari, authorities pointed to a Gauhati High Court verdict that went against petitioners trying to stop the eviction.

However, the human cost is stark. One evicted resident in Nalbari cried out in despair, “Let the government crush us under the JCB machines. Our children have been without food since 5 AM… Where will we go now?” Another, Suleman Ali from Goalpara, whose family had lived on the land for over 70 years, expressed his terror and worry for his children’s future. “We stood in the rain for two hours after they demolished our house, and now the police have told us not to set up any kind of tent or shelter here,” he said.

This raises what Ganaie terms a “deep concern” about the government’s approach. While acknowledging that development projects are vital for the country’s growth, he stressed the need for a more humane strategy. “Governments need to have a human attitude, human view for the people living alongside the projects,” he argued, adding that the way eviction notices are issued is “very undemocratic.”

The All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) has also criticised the lack of a proper rehabilitation plan, citing Supreme Court guidelines that prohibit evictions without it. While some officials have mentioned potential rehabilitation, including an allotment of land and a sum of 50 000 rupees, Ganaie questions its adequacy.

“The question is, when a person who is living in a house or in an area as his ancestral house and suddenly in the garb of a mega power project, that gets dismantled. So that’s a deep concern.”