The Assam government on Sunday carried out a large-scale eviction drive in Golaghat district’s Nambor South Reserve Forest, displacing around 350 Miya Muslim families. Most of these families are Bengali-origin Muslims, commonly referred to as Miya Muslims in the state. According to officials, the operation freed nearly 1,000 bighas of forest land.
A report by Scroll.in highlighted that along with the eviction, videos emerged showing Assamese nationalist groups issuing threats to Miya Muslims to leave Upper Assam. In one such clip, a member of the ‘Jatiya Sangram Sena,’ Situ Barua, is seen telling a Miya man, “Stay quiet, Miya… Miya people must leave Upper Assam within 24 hours.”
Officials Claim Peaceful Operation
Golaghat district authorities said the drive targeted encroachments in Gajaljan and 3 No. Rajapukhuri areas. Officials claimed the eviction was carried out peacefully without any resistance. Most of the affected families had been living in the region since the 1980s, with some claiming to have settled there as early as 1978.
Seventh Eviction Drive Since June
This marks the seventh eviction operation in Assam since June 16. In total, nearly 5,300 families—primarily Bengali-origin Muslims—have been removed from their homes during this period. Many of them are now living in makeshift tarpaulin shelters along roadsides.
Over 1,500 Families Removed from Rengma Reserve Forest
Just a day earlier, authorities undertook another massive eviction at the Rengma Reserve Forest, displacing more than 1,500 families and demolishing over 4,000 illegal structures in five days. The forest lies in a disputed belt near the Nagaland border.
More Evictions Planned
Special Chief Secretary M.K. Yadava confirmed that 205 families in the Negheribil area of Merapani, part of the Doyang Reserve Forest, have been served notices and will be evicted starting August 8.
Allegations of Religious Discrimination
The evicted families have accused the government of targeting them on religious and ethnic grounds. They claim that in both the Rengma Reserve Forest and Guwahati, non-Muslim residents were spared, while their Muslim neighbors received eviction notices.
CM Sarma Denies Bias Allegations
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma dismissed allegations of discrimination, stating that the government would not evict “indigenous people.” He clarified that the action was aimed at those who had occupied land after coming from Bangladesh.
“There are two types of encroachments,” Sarma said. “If an indigenous person is living on public land, we don’t consider it encroachment. But if someone has come from Bangladesh and occupied land, that is encroachment.”
Miya Muslims—Bengali-origin Muslims in Assam—are often labeled as foreigners or illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, despite many possessing citizenship documents and having lived in the state for generations.