Forced Eviction of 300 Erosion affected citizen in Assam

​By: Ashraful Hussain

After Kuthori near Kaziranga, Mayong in Morigaon, Baghartapu in Nagaon and Hajo in Kamrup district, more than 300 houses of erosion affected families Fuhuratoli in Darrang district of Assam were demolished by district administration and a Right wing organization on 21st December. Significantly the eviction notice served only 12 hours earlier.

As per various studies and government records this people are Indian citizens and earlier they were displaced from near by char areas due to erosion. Some of those family victims and survivors of Chaolkhuwa massacre in 1983. 199 families were in fact resettled by district administration under directives of Gauhati High Court and recommendation of Land Advisory Committee.

A local right wing organisation distributed pamphlets and gave govt 21 December deadline, else they threatened to take law in to their hands.

It seems government influenced by right wing group, issued eviction notice on 19th, served the notice on 20th at 5-8 pm, and the eviction process started on 21st Dec at 7am.

In presence of security forces, members of a right wing local fundamentalist organisation demolished homes and other properties during the eviction drive.

Previous governments gave circulars in 2003, 2006 and 2015 to provide land patta and rehabilitation land grant to the erosion affected char people. But due to pressure and mobilization of right organizations none of the circulars have been followed and executed. When the past government of Assam served a notification in 2015 regarding rehabilitation of landless people especially erosion victims to allot atleast 3 bighas land per families for their settlement; surprising new government brutally evicted them without providing any means of settlement and rehabilitation.
A section of media and right wing local fundamentalist organizations are alleging the victims to be illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. If their claim is true why the government didn't take action and put them in detention centre?
We condemned the barbaric act of Government of Assam and strongly demand for rehabilitation and compression for the victims.
We want to draw attention of all Human Rights Organizations, right activists, democratic and secular people to raise their voice in this regards.

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