Eviction drive in Assam’s Azara displaces hundreds of Muslim families

Authorities in Azara, located in Assam’s Kamrup district, carried out a large-scale demolition drive on Saturday, razing hundreds of houses, most of which reportedly belonged to Muslim families. Officials said the action was taken against alleged encroachments on land classified as a tribal belt.

The operation, led by the Kamrup (Metro) district administration, is said to have affected around 500 homes spread over approximately 737 bighas (around 245 acres).

Authorities maintained that the land is legally reserved for tribal communities and that only those from such communities, or residents who settled there before the area received tribal belt status, are eligible to reside there. They added that eviction notices had been issued on February 27, allowing a 15-day period for residents to vacate, Maktoob Media reported.

Residents impacted by the drive, many of whom are Bengali-speaking Muslims, said they had been living in the area for nearly 20 years after being displaced by floods and erosion. Some also stated that they had previously received government support, which they believe indicates that officials were aware of their presence.

Visuals shared on social media appeared to show bulldozers dismantling bamboo and thatch houses as families, including women and children, watched, while police personnel monitored the process.

Officials described the eviction as part of a wider campaign by the Assam government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to remove alleged encroachments and safeguard tribal land, forests, and wildlife zones. Since 2024, similar operations across the state have reportedly led to the demolition of thousands of structures.

The move has drawn criticism from activists and rights groups, who characterised it as “bulldozer politics” and argued that such actions disproportionately impact marginalised Muslim communities who have already been displaced and lack alternative housing.

In recent months, Sarma has linked such eviction drives to efforts against what he has described as “illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators” or “Miyas,” a term used for Bengali-origin Muslims in the state.

Speaking at an election rally in Khanapara, he reportedly defended the eviction measures and said his government would continue efforts to reclaim land allegedly occupied by illegal settlers if returned to power. He was also reported to have used strong language warning against those he accused of defying the state, while asserting that no “Bangladeshi” can occupy “our land.”

Opposition leaders, scholars, and activists have criticised these remarks, describing them as inflammatory and warning that such rhetoric could deepen discrimination and lead to further displacement of vulnerable communities.