Goalpara: A large-scale eviction drive in Assam’s Goalpara district has left hundreds of Muslim families homeless after their homes were demolished in what the state government called an operation to clear “encroachments” on forest land. The two-day drive, which began on November 9, involved bulldozers, excavators, and over 900 personnel, including police, paramilitary forces, and forest guards.
Residents said they were being targeted because of their faith. “We are being evicted because we are Muslims,” said a woman holding her child as her house was torn down. Several families dismantled their tin-roofed homes before the machines arrived. Many said the government offered no relocation or rehabilitation, leaving children, women, and the elderly without shelter.
Officials said eviction notices had been issued to about 580 families two weeks earlier. Goalpara Deputy Commissioner Prodip Timung claimed that 70 percent of residents left voluntarily, adding that the land fell under the Dahikata Reserve Forest. State officials argued the area is part of an elephant corridor and that clearing it will reduce human-animal conflict.
Displaced families have denied allegations of encroachment. “If we were illegal settlers, why did the government give us electricity and toilets?” asked Abdul Karim, a villager who lost his home. The All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) condemned the eviction as discriminatory and unconstitutional, calling it an assault on the poor and marginalized.
This is the third major eviction in Goalpara this year. Rights groups have accused the government of targeting Bengali-speaking Muslim settlements under the pretext of forest protection, forcing entire communities into uncertainty and displacement.
