Assam to evict 2,000 families from encroached forest land in major crackdown
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The Assam government is preparing for a large-scale eviction operation in Golaghat district to reclaim 10,000 bighas (approximately 3,300 acres) of encroached forest land in the Rengma Reserve Forest, located near the Nagaland border.
The move is part of the Himanta Biswa Sarma administration’s continued efforts to remove illegal settlers, which officials claim include migrants from other parts of Assam and neighbouring states.
Nearly 2,000 families are expected to be affected by the drive, with state authorities alleging that the forest land was illegally converted into betel nut plantations linked to a wider betel trade network.
Ahead of the operation, many Bengali-speaking Muslims — some labelled as undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh — have reportedly fled the area, seeking refuge elsewhere in Assam.
The eviction effort will be carried out with the support of 700–800 personnel from the Assam Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the state Forest Department. Heavy machinery such as bulldozers and excavators has also been deployed.
The crackdown follows detailed land surveys across 30 villages in the Sarupathar sub-division, where the reserve forest is located.
The Assam government asserts that many of the encroachers have come from Muslim-majority districts such as Nagaon, Morigaon, Sonitpur, and Hojai, as well as other regions like Cachar, Dhubri, Barpeta, West Bengal, and Bihar.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that “70% of the identified encroachers had already vacated voluntarily” and reaffirmed the state’s intent to reclaim forest and government land. Last week, he said that 1.29 lakh bighas (over 42,500 acres) had already been cleared of encroachment over the past four years. However, approximately 29 lakh bighas (over 9.5 lakh acres) remain encroached.
As the operation unfolds, the Nagaland government has issued alerts to its bordering districts to remain vigilant and prevent displaced families from crossing into its territory.
In response to the evictions, the NSCN/GPRN (Niki) faction, a prominent Naga group, issued a statement condemning the move.
The group claimed the operation was “neither surprising nor unexpected” and accused the Assam government of attempting to seize Naga ancestral land under the pretext of clearing encroachments. Referring to the area as part of the “Disturbed Area Belt,” the NSCN criticised the colonial-era boundaries that they say ignored Naga claims.
The group further alleged that successive Assam governments have “pursued the settlement of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants (IBIs)” in disputed zones as part of a covert effort to expand territorial control.