The government of Himanta Biswa Sarma, the BJP chief minister of India’s northeastern state of Assam, has carried out a massive eviction drive, clearing large tracts of forestland.
More than 500 families have been displaced, most of them Muslims.
Chief Minister Himanta has claimed that the administration has demonstrated the “fierce face” of development in the state.
Minority organisations, however, have accused the government of discriminatory treatment, as most of those evicted are Bengali Muslims.
Extensive eviction operations in three districts of Assam have cleared large areas of government forestland.
According to recent figures released by the state administration, more than 638 hectares of land in Golaghat, Hojai and Nagaon districts were cleared of alleged encroachers within a week. The main objective of the operation was to protect forest department land and demolish structures built illegally.
The forest department conducted major operations in Nagaon, Hojai and Golaghat districts on Saturday and Sunday. The largest operation took place on Sunday in the Lutumari Reserved Forest in Nagaon district, where around 314 hectares of land were cleared in a single day.
About 550 families were affected. According to official figures, the total number of families evicted across the three districts was close to 1,000.
Forest officials said residents had been asked to leave the area through public announcements in August. As a result, nearly 90 per cent of the alleged encroachers voluntarily vacated the land before the eviction drive began. They also maintained that the entire process was carried out in accordance with court orders.
Meanwhile, some social media posts have claimed that more than 1,100 families were forcibly evicted and several mosques were demolished during the operation. Local residents and various student organisations have also expressed dissatisfaction with the drive.
The All Assam Minorities Students’ Union has alleged bias in the eviction process, claiming that more than 1,000 homes and several mosques were demolished during Sunday's operation. The organisation's president said a large proportion of the families evicted from the Lutumari forest area had been temporarily rehabilitated there by the government in 1973.
The organisation alleged that, despite the court order, people from a particular community were being targeted in the eviction process, while notices had yet to be issued to residents belonging to other religious communities.
Overall, the operation has created a complex and sensitive situation, with the government's efforts to reclaim land clashing with the claims of local residents.