1.29 lakh bigha land occupied by Bangladeshi infiltrators and doubtful citizens freed in 4 years, informs Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that around 29 lakh bighas (nearly 10 lakh acres) of land in Assam is reported to be occupied by “Bangladeshi infiltrators and doubtful citizens.” He mentioned that after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government took office in 2021, a campaign was initiated to reclaim the property but they encountered international pressure to cease these actions.
He made the shocking disclosures on 21st July during a function commemorating the fourth anniversary of the Multipurpose Agricultural Project at Garukhuti in the Darang district.
This project commenced in 2021, and to date, 77,420 bighas of land (25,500 acres) have been cleared of encroachments.
“Today, the land in Garukhuti, once occupied illegally, has been converted into productive agricultural fields. This is the model we aim to replicate across encroached areas in Assam,” he conveyed.
According to media reports, Sarma remarked, “After the successful execution of the campaign in the Darang district, the initiative was also extended to Borsola, Lumding, Burhapahar, Pabha, Batadrava, Chapar and Paikan. In the last four years, we have reclaimed 1.29 lakh bigha (around 43,000 acres) of occupied land. A considerable portion of it is now being allocated for forest development and the citizens of the state.”
He declared, “If anyone believes that after two or three campaigns we will be intimidated, not confront them directly and bow down, they are mistaken. The martyrs of the Assam Movement will certainly be avenged.” He mentioned that during the Assam Movement from 1983 to 1985, there was a prevailing sense of defeat and many individuals had “surrendered” to the Congress which changed the political trajectory of the state.
Shankar-Madhav became Shankar-Azan
Sarma pointed out that, at a certain point, we started referring to Shankar-Madhav as Shankar-Azan. Azan Peer will continue to maintain his pivotal role, yet Madhav (Madhavdev) also has his own significant position. It is only then that our “caste” can be preserved. Srimanta Sankardev and Sri Sri Madhavdev are esteemed Vaishnav saints in Assam whereas Azan Peer was a Muslim sage who arrived there from Iraq during the 17th century.
Over 1000 bighas of land cleared in Goalpara
The Himanta government is actively involved in measures to safeguard the state’s demographic composition. As part of the drive, encroached lands have been reclaimed in various locations. On 12th July, an eviction operation took place in the Paikan Reserve Forest located in the Goalpara district. 140 hectares (equivalent to 1038 to 1040 bighas) of forest land had been unlawfully taken over predominantly by Muslims.
Tejas Mariswamy, the Divisional Forest Officer of Goalpara outlined that 1,080 families had built houses in this area. The majority of these individuals were Muslims who had migrated from adjacent regions or Bangladesh. A total of 36 bulldozers were utilized during the action and the region was divided into 6 distinct blocks. Nearly 2,500 to 2,700 structures, including houses and shops were dismantled. Over 1,000 police officers and forest guards were deployed for security purposes.
Mamata Banerjee cries “atrocities on Bengalis”
A war of words broke out on social media between Sarma and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the removal of infiltrators and illegal occupation in Assam. She complained that the administration is persecuting the Bengali community in Assam by singling them out, labeling it as the BJP’s divisive agenda.
However, Sarma responded that it is not the Bengalis but rather Muslim infiltrators who are being expelled from Assam. He also referenced a statement from the Supreme Court which characterized infiltration as an external invasion.
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