Assam government on Monday launched an eviction drive inside Lumding reserve forest in Hojai district during which nearly 1,500 people vacated the land fearing action by the administration.
The drive, which would continue on Tuesday was launched on a day members of All Assam Minority Students' Union (AAMSU) staged a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in which it alleged that the Muslims were being targetted in Assam in the name of eviction drive.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters in Guwahati on Monday that 1,500 people were evicted, most of whom had vacated the land on their own. "This was a successful eviction drive after the one carried out in Dholpur. The eviction to clear our forests and government land will continue in peaceful manner," Sarma said.
Lumding is in central Assam's Hojai district situated about 200-km from Guwahati.
Sarma was referring to the eviction drive at Gorukhuti area in Dhalpur in Darrang district on September 23 during which two Muslims, including a 12-year-old child, who had reportedly encroached on government land died in police firing. The BJP-led government had carried out the eviction to clear the 77,000 bigha government land for a agriculture project meant for "indigenous" people. The eviction and the police firing triggered an outrage not only across the country but globally with many alleging that the BJP-led government targetted the Muslims only.
Officials at Hojai said over 550 huts and illegal structures were dismantled during the eviction drive on Monday. Lumding reserve forest covers over 22,403 hectares, of which 1,410 hectares have been illegally encroached upon by settlers.
Officials said many had gone back to their homes in neighbouring districts while some were taking shelter in near the reserve forest saying they were landless.
The eviction at Lumding forest reserve was carried out after Gauhati High Court on Seprember 24 asked what action was taken to clear the reserve forest from encroachers. The court order came while disposing a PIL filed by former BJP MLA from Hojai, Shiladitya Dev.
The state government had filed an affidavit saying that about 1.10 hectares of land under the Lumding Reserve Forest had been “encroached upon by unauthorised persons.
Sarma said the encroachers were settled by some local traders who were illegally cultivating ginger and turmeric inside the reserve forest.
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