Amid growing criticism over eviction drives targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has alleged a “conspiracy” behind the migration of people with roots in present-day Bangladesh to areas dominated by Hindus or Assamese Muslims.
Since June, the BJP-led government has evicted over 3,500 families, primarily Bengali-speaking Muslims, from reserve forests and wetlands, citing encroachment. These families reportedly settled there after being displaced by erosion.
“Why are they moving 200–300 km away from their native places to settle in Hindu or Assamese Muslim areas?” Sarma asked after an eviction drive in Goalpara district on July 12. “This isn’t just eviction. There’s a hidden conspiracy to make us a minority.”
He called for an investigation into whether the migration is driven by poverty or by a political agenda. Referring to a case in Lakhimpur, he questioned why landless people from South Salmara or Sribhumi would not seek land within their districts. He also cited demographic shifts in Sarupathar constituency, where people from central Assam’s Dhing and Rupohi have allegedly settled.
Last week, two major eviction drives were conducted in Dhubri and Goalpara, clearing more than 4,500 bighas (approx. 1,485 acres) of land. The CM said over 2.64 lakh acres of government land are currently under encroachment across Assam.
Sarma defended the actions, citing orders from the Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court to clear encroachments from forest land and grazing reserves.
“We don’t like pushing people out, but we are bound by court orders,” he said during a visit to Darrang.
Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary previously revealed in the Assembly that over 2.5 lakh hectares of forest land are under encroachment, followed by 83,000 hectares by neighboring states and 1,000 hectares by tea gardens.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, accused the government of targeting Muslims to make way for industrial projects linked to BJP-backed corporates. They also claimed the evictions aim to polarize voters ahead of the 2025 Assembly election.
The Congress promised compensation for all Indian citizens whose homes were bulldozed. The Jamaat Ulama Council condemned the drives as “discriminatory” and “unjust.”
On July 13, the All Assam Minority Students’ Union held statewide protests against the “inhuman” evictions and submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding an end to what they called “anti-people” actions.
