Authorities in Assam’s Kamrup Metropolitan district have recently intensified their eviction efforts, demolishing 250 homes over the past two days in Kachutali-1 village. This renewed drive comes less than two weeks after violent protests led to the police shooting of two men, reports The Times of India.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Biswajit Saikia confirmed to Scroll that the eviction operations will continue as planned. These actions are part of a broader initiative aimed at removing alleged encroachments on lands designated for Scheduled Tribes, following the guidelines of the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation.
This week’s demolitions follow a previous operation on September 9, when nearly 240 homes – mostly belonging to Bengali-origin Muslims from Morigaon district – were destroyed. Residents had established their homes in the low-lying area over several decades.
On September 12, tensions escalated when officials returned to issue a two-hour ultimatum for residents to vacate the land. The confrontation that ensued resulted in the deaths of two men and injuries to 33 individuals, including 22 government and police officers.
Among the homes demolished was that of 19-year-old Haidar Ali, who was one of the victims in the earlier clashes. His brother, Hakim Uddin, revealed that their home had been marked for demolition on September 22, causing the family mounting distress.
Despite ongoing legal challenges, the district administration has proceeded with demolitions of homes that had not received stay orders from the courts. Officials assert that these measures are necessary to prevent resettlement in the area.
As tensions remain high, local community leaders and politicians have criticized the government, arguing that the evictions violate residents’ legal rights and questioning the motivations behind these aggressive actions.
