Sivasagar, Assam — Tensions have risen in Upper Assam as 20 indigenous organisations issued an August 15 deadline for suspected illegal immigrants from Bangladesh to leave the region. The decision came after a chinton-baithak (consultative meeting) at KPM Hall on Friday. Leaders from several ethnic groups adopted an 11-point resolution for an “illegal citizen-free” Upper Assam.
The resolutions demanded that the cut-off year for identifying illegal immigrants be changed from March 24, 1971, under the Assam Accord, to 1951. They called for eviction of alleged encroachers from government land, forests, tribal belts, historical monuments, and water bodies. Eviction targets include Jamuna canal, Khatopathar Chintamonigarh, and stretches along the Dikhow riverbank near Durbar Field in Sivasagar.
Other demands included deleting names of suspected foreigners from electoral rolls and strict tenant document verification. Employment in construction, brick kilns, and waste management should be restricted to verified indigenous residents. The sale of land to “foreign suspects” was discouraged. Indigenous groups were urged to work with indigenous Muslims to achieve a “foreigner-free Assam.”
A mass rally is planned for August 20 to decide the next steps if demands remain unmet. The Sivasagar district administration has appealed for calm. It has not commented on the ultimatum.
The move follows increased vigilante incidents. It also comes after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged lawful opposition to illegal immigration and encroachment. He warned against sheltering evicted persons.
Observers warn the combination of community mobilisation, eviction calls, and official silence could increase tensions before the August 15 deadline.
