Assam Eviction Drive Draws Political Criticism as Displaced Families Seek Clarity
Residents of Lutumari say their families were settled in the area decades ago and had links to Forest Department work. Authorities maintain that the operation was necessary to clear alleged encroachments from protected forest land.
NETB24
GUWAHATI, Assam, October 20, 2026: Assam's two-day eviction drive has drawn political criticism and renewed attention to the circumstances of families displaced from forest land in Nagaon, Hojai and Golaghat districts.
The operation, conducted on October 17 and 18, reportedly affected more than 1,100 families, most of them described in media reports as Bengali-speaking Muslims.
According to The Times of India, the administration cleared approximately 314 hectares in the Lutumai Reserve Forest in Nagaon district on October 18, evicting 563 families and demolishing 1,669 structures.
On the previous day, 547 families were reportedly evicted across the three districts. The operations covered several areas, including Borpani and Lutumari in Nagaon, Jamuna-Maudanga in Hojai, and locations in Golaghat's reserve forests.
The Congress party criticised the operation. The Times of India reported that a Congress delegation was stopped by police from visiting Borbil in Hojai to assess the situation and meet affected residents. The party raised concerns about the treatment of displaced families and demanded attention to their circumstances.
Meanwhile, the administration has defended the evictions as measures to clear alleged encroachments from protected forest land. Some residents dispute that description and say their families had long-standing settlement histories linked to earlier forest management arrangements.
The immediate concerns include access to shelter, the recovery of belongings, continuity of livelihoods and possible relief or rehabilitation for eligible households.
As the debate continues, verified information from the district administrations regarding relief measures, individual land claims and the treatment of affected families will be important to understanding the full consequences of the operation.
