Assam begins drive to bulldoze over 600 homes in Goalpara district
The Assam government on Monday began its drive to demolish the homes of 667 families, the majority of them belonging to Bengali-origin Muslims, in an anti-encroachment drive in the Goalpara district.
Goalpara District Commissioner Khanindra Choudhury told Scroll that 45% of the homes on an allegedly encroached land in the Hasila Beel area were razed on Monday. The demolition drive will continue on Tuesday to clear the remaining structures, he added.
'There was no resistance from the encroachers and no untoward incident has been reported so far,' PTI quoted Choudhury as saying.
The official claimed that the district administration had served eviction notices to the villagers in 2023 and 2024, instructing them to vacate the 'wetland area'.
'We again served them notices on Friday and asked them to clear their houses by Monday morning,' PTI quoted Choudhury as saying.
Many residents left the village with their belongings, while the remaining families have requested that the district administration rehabilitate them.
Since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in Assam in 2016, more than 10,620 families – the majority of them Muslim – have been ousted from government land, according to data provided by the state revenue and disaster management department in August.
In September, the Goalpara district administration carried out a demolition drive in which 450 families, or about 2,000 persons, were evicted.
The families were illegally occupying 55 hectares of the Bandarmatha Reserve Forest, the newspaper quoted unidentified officials as saying. The evictions in Goalpara were carried out in line with a High Court order.
This had come less than two weeks after two men were shot dead by the police amid violent protests during an eviction drive in Moregaon.
On September 9, the district authorities bulldozed nearly 240 homes, the majority of them belonging to Bengali-origin Muslims from Morigaon district. The residents had built their homes in the low-lying area over several decades.
Three days later, on September 12, the officials returned and gave them an ultimatum to vacate the land in two hours. This led to a violent clash between the residents and the officials, during which two men were shot dead by the police.
Thirty-three persons, including 22 government and police officers, were also injured in the clash.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
26 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Several senior leaders of Imran Khan's party get relief from Pak courts
Several senior leaders of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party have been granted relief by courts in protest-related cases, a media report said on Sunday (June 22, 2025). Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including its chairman Gohar Ali Khan and Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub, were on Saturday acquitted by a court in Islamabad in two protest-related cases from last year, the Dawn newspaper reported. Islamabad Judicial Magistrate Shahzad Ahmed announced the verdict in the cases related to a protest on April 26 last year. The protest moved from the office of PTI leader Shoaib Shaheen towards the Karachi Company, reportedly in violation of Section 144 and other legal provisions. After hearing all arguments, the court acquitted Barrister Gohar, Omar Ayub, Ali Bukhari, Shoaib Shaheen, Malik Rafique, Amir Dogar, Amir Mughal and others. Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court in Lahore granted bail to former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in a May 9, 2023, riots case. ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill announced the verdict in the case related to the Shadman Police Station attack case during the May 9 riots that erupted after the arrest of PTI founder Khan. The judge deferred till June 26 a decision on another bail petition of the PTI leader in a case relating to the burning of police vehicles near Lahore Corps. Mr. Qureshi's counsel had argued that the PTI leader was not even present in Lahore on May 9 — the day of the alleged attack — and was in Karachi with his wife for her medical treatment. The counsel stated that the allegation of conspiracy against Mr. Qureshi regarding the May 9 attacks was not proven and the petitioner should be granted bail, as many co-suspects in the same case had already been allowed bail. Earlier, former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema also filed a bail petition in the same Shadman Police Station attack case. Mr. Khan is booked in several cases in Lahore in connection with the May 9, 2023, violence, including for allegedly inciting his supporters to attack government and military buildings, which erupted after his arrest by paramilitary Rangers from the Islamabad High Court premises. The 72-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been behind bars since August 2023 after he was booked in multiple cases.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Mumbai Confidential: Tantra in Politics
Tantra In Politics In Maharashtra's political corridors, whispers of occult rituals have been associated with a regional powerhouse. The speculation turned abuzz when several of its leaders recently visited the famed Kamakhya temple in Assam, a known seat of Tantric power. A new name has now entered this domain — a cabinet heavyweight from the Konkan belt, embroiled in a bitter tussle over the plum post of guardian minister. A video clip, said to be from last year but recently gone public, appears to show the minister in ritual regalia seated beside an Aghori sadhu clad in black, in what seems like a ritualistic invocation. Political opponents say it shows how tantra is thriving in the state's polity. Firebrand Concern Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, as part of his outreach to the Muslim community after the split in the NCP, had famously promised that he would not spare anyone who intimidated Muslims in the state. Pawar, however, seems to be struggling to rein in a young firebrand from his own stable. The three-time MLA from a prominent western Maharashtra city and the son-in-law of a sitting BJP legislator has been making speeches laced with communal rhetoric. His most recent demand was that Muslim employees at a well known temple trust be removed. With back-to-back electoral victories and an eye on further consolidation, the young leader is believed to be tapping into rising polarisation to shore up his personal clout. Power Games An NCP minister was livid when he realised that a newly appointed chief officer of a prime municipal council in his constituency had taken charge without the consent of state's Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Development Department Minister Eknath Shinde. The appointment was through an officer in Shinde's office without informing the former CM. The NCP minister complained to Shinde on the cabinet day after the appointment was cancelled. Now the officer who went ahead without informing Shinde and is holding double charge at present is under radar.
Deccan Herald
an hour ago
- Deccan Herald
Shettar demands CM, DCM's resignation
Corruption in the state has crossed all limits. No work is done in government offices without paying bribe. Since Congress MLAs themselves have exposed the corruption in the Housing Corporation, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar should take moral responsibility and resign, demanded Belagavi MP Jagadish to reporters in the town on Sunday, he pointed out that Congress MLA B R Patil, who comes from a socialist background, has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction by stating that work gets done at the Gram Panchayat president's level, but not at the MLA's level. Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has exposed the bribery taking place in the Bengaluru tahsildar's office. 'What more proof is needed to show that the government is mired in corruption?' he further stated that during the BJP's tenure, they had alleged that it was a 40% government. Even though an inquiry commission was formed, nothing was proven. Now, the statements made by Minister Krishna Byre Gowda and MLAs B R Patil and Basavaraj Rayaraddi proved the corruption within the Congress government,' Shettar criticised the Congress leaders for engaging in appeasement politics by favouring Muslims for vote bank. The Congress is indulging in appeasement politics by reserving contracts and housing schemes specifically for Muslims, the MP is essential to provide 2A reservation to communities like the Panchamasali Lingayats and other economically backward sections. The government should consider increasing the reservation quota by bringing amendments on the model of Tamil Nadu, he is essential to provide 2A reservation
