<p>Nearly 1,900 hectare land belonging to 303 Satras, Vaishnavite monasteries across Assam, are under encroachment, according to a report by a committee constituted by the BJP-led government in the state. <br /> <br />The committee, headed by Pradip Hazarika, MLA of Asom Gana Parishad, an ally of the BJP-led government in the state submitted its interim report to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday in Guwahati. <br /> <br />"As per the report, Barpeta district accounts for the largest Satra land under encroachment, followed by that in Lakhimpur and Nagaon district," Sarma said after accepting the report. "Satras in Bongaigaon and Dhubri districts have also been highly encroached," he said.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read:</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/assam-working-on-providing-land-rights-to-indigenous-people-after-self-certification-cm-1162329.html" target="_blank"> Assam working on providing land rights to indigenous people after self-certification: CM</a></strong><br /> <br />The committee, which has two BJP MLAs, Rupak Sarma and Mrinal Saikia as members, prepared the report after making on-the-spot verification of the land belonging to the Satras and going through the documents available with the state government. <br /><br />Satras are the prayer halls of Vaishanvite culture propagated in Assam by Srimanta Sankardev, the 15th century Vaishnavite saint. Sankardev and his disciple Madhabdev had founded several Satras across Assam but the land belonging to many such Satras, and even those set up later, were encroached upon over the years. <br /> <br />Clearing the land belonging to the Satras was one of the important promises made by BJP before elections in Assam. The saffron party had promised it would protect the culture, identity and languages of the indigenous communities in Assam against the "threats" posed by "illegal Muslim migrants" from neighbouring Bangladesh. BJP leaders had earlier claimed that "illegal migrants" had also encroached upon the Satra land and the committee was set up to clear the same.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read:</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/ready-to-cede-land-if-law-demands-otherwise-wont-allow-even-an-inch-to-be-encroached-sarma-1013487.html" target="_blank">Ready to cede land if law demands, otherwise won't allow even an inch to be encroached: Sarma</a></strong><br /> <br />Barpeta, Dhubri and Nagaon have sizeable Muslim population.</p>.<p>Chief Minister Sarma stated that the interim report would be administratively reviewed and follow-up action, in accordance with the law of the land, would be taken accordingly. BJP leaders said an eviction drive is likely to be taken up "at the appropriate time" like the ones carried out to clear the forest and other government land from encroachers, mainly from immigrant Muslims, since May 2021, when Sarma became the CM.</p>
<p>Nearly 1,900 hectare land belonging to 303 Satras, Vaishnavite monasteries across Assam, are under encroachment, according to a report by a committee constituted by the BJP-led government in the state. <br /> <br />The committee, headed by Pradip Hazarika, MLA of Asom Gana Parishad, an ally of the BJP-led government in the state submitted its interim report to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday in Guwahati. <br /> <br />"As per the report, Barpeta district accounts for the largest Satra land under encroachment, followed by that in Lakhimpur and Nagaon district," Sarma said after accepting the report. "Satras in Bongaigaon and Dhubri districts have also been highly encroached," he said.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read:</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/assam-working-on-providing-land-rights-to-indigenous-people-after-self-certification-cm-1162329.html" target="_blank"> Assam working on providing land rights to indigenous people after self-certification: CM</a></strong><br /> <br />The committee, which has two BJP MLAs, Rupak Sarma and Mrinal Saikia as members, prepared the report after making on-the-spot verification of the land belonging to the Satras and going through the documents available with the state government. <br /><br />Satras are the prayer halls of Vaishanvite culture propagated in Assam by Srimanta Sankardev, the 15th century Vaishnavite saint. Sankardev and his disciple Madhabdev had founded several Satras across Assam but the land belonging to many such Satras, and even those set up later, were encroached upon over the years. <br /> <br />Clearing the land belonging to the Satras was one of the important promises made by BJP before elections in Assam. The saffron party had promised it would protect the culture, identity and languages of the indigenous communities in Assam against the "threats" posed by "illegal Muslim migrants" from neighbouring Bangladesh. BJP leaders had earlier claimed that "illegal migrants" had also encroached upon the Satra land and the committee was set up to clear the same.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read:</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/ready-to-cede-land-if-law-demands-otherwise-wont-allow-even-an-inch-to-be-encroached-sarma-1013487.html" target="_blank">Ready to cede land if law demands, otherwise won't allow even an inch to be encroached: Sarma</a></strong><br /> <br />Barpeta, Dhubri and Nagaon have sizeable Muslim population.</p>.<p>Chief Minister Sarma stated that the interim report would be administratively reviewed and follow-up action, in accordance with the law of the land, would be taken accordingly. BJP leaders said an eviction drive is likely to be taken up "at the appropriate time" like the ones carried out to clear the forest and other government land from encroachers, mainly from immigrant Muslims, since May 2021, when Sarma became the CM.</p>
