Assam: Over 1,200 Homes of Bengali Muslim Families Demolished in Sonitpur Eviction Drive
Evictions carried out inside Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary amid claims of long-term settlement
Sonitpur, Assam (Fikrokhabar News): Around 1,200 houses belonging to Bengali Muslim families were demolished during a large-scale eviction drive carried out on January 5 and 6 in Assam’s Sonitpur district. The operation was aimed at removing what authorities described as illegal encroachments from nearly 650 hectares of land within the Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary.
The eviction drive covered multiple areas under the Tezpur Sadar and Dhekiajuli revenue circles, including Jamuktol, Arimari, Siyalichar, Baghetapu, Galatidubi, Lathimari, Kundulichar, Purba Dubramari, and Batulichar. According to officials quoted by the Press Trust of India (PTI), the evicted families had constructed homes and were cultivating crops inside protected forest land.
This action follows a major eviction operation conducted in February last year, when the district administration cleared over 2,000 hectares of land in and around the same wildlife sanctuary. That drive was described as one of the largest eviction exercises in the state.
Since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in Assam in 2016, the state government has undertaken multiple eviction and demolition drives across various districts. Most of these operations have taken place in areas largely inhabited by Bengali-speaking Muslim communities. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Monday that the government has reclaimed nearly 1.5 lakh bighas of land through such initiatives.
Many of the displaced residents, however, claim their families have lived in the affected areas for decades. They say their ancestors settled there after losing land to erosion caused by the Brahmaputra River. Earlier reports have highlighted that river erosion has destroyed hundreds of villages over the past several decades, leaving thousands of families landless.
According to a previous report, erosion by the Brahmaputra has wiped out more than 470 villages in Goalpara district alone over the last 40 years, forcing repeated displacement of local communities.
Sonitpur District Commissioner Ananda Kumar Das told PTI that despite requests from residents to delay the eviction during the winter season, the administration proceeded with the operation, stating that illegal occupation of forest land could not be allowed under any circumstances.
Eviction drives in Assam have also led to violent incidents in the past. In July last year, clashes during a similar operation in the Krishnai area of Goalpara district resulted in the death of a 19-year-old Muslim youth in police firing, while several others, including police personnel, were injured.
The latest demolitions have once again raised concerns among civil society groups and human rights activists over displacement, rehabilitation, and the impact of eviction drives on vulnerable communities.
Source: News agencies (PTI), media reports
