Assam government's drive to carry out the eviction in a riverine village in Darrang district took an ugly turn on Thursday when two persons died in police firing and at least 10 others, including policemen, were injured in a face-off with protesters.
The incident took place at Dhalpur village (Part-II) under the Sipajhar revenue circle, situated about 70-km from Guwahati. Police and Darrang district administration personnel on Monday carried out a similar drive at Dhalpur (Part-I and Part-II) in which over 800 families were evicted from the government land. Some others, however, could not be evicted that day.
The situation turned tense on Thursday when the eviction team reached the area as hundreds staged a protest demanding that they be provided with an alternative land before the eviction.
"We used tear gas shells and fired in the air to disperse the crowd but many of them did not relent and attacked the policemen with sticks and sharp weapons. Finally, we had to open fire to control the situation," said a police officer, who was part of the eviction drive.
The eviction drive at Dhalpur was carried out as part of the BJP-led government's promise to clear government land from "illegal settlers." According to the government, those living there are illegal settlers and the land was being cleared for an agriculture project in which youths belonging to "indigenous communities" would be provided employment.
The deceased has been identified as Saddam Hussain and Sheikh Farid.
Ainuddin Ahmed, advisor of All Assam Minority Students' Union (AAMSU) said the condition of another bullet-hit person was serious. "The way protesters have been killed is barbaric and murder by the government. We urge Gauhati High Court to take a suo motu case against the government action. We demand that alternative land should be allotted before the eviction as they are Indian citizens and are landless poor people," he said.
Minority Co-ordination Committee, a forum of at least eight minority organisations including AAMSU has called the Darrang district bandh on Friday in protest against the police firing. "Local residents will not accept the bodies of the deceased till the alternative land is allotted and action is taken against the guilty policemen," Ahmed said.
The state government later issued a notification stating that it decided to conduct an inquiry into the incident by a retired judge of Gauhati High Court.
The Opposition Congress, Assam Jatiya Parishad and Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal slammed the BJP-led state government for the police action.
President of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, Bhupen Kumar Boarh called the incident barbaric. "The people in the area have been subjected to harassment repeatedly by the BJP government since they came to power in 2016. Without alternative arrangements for land and housing, where will these poor people go and how will they survive?"
BJP MLA, Mrinal Saikia, who was part of the drive on Monday alleged people belonging to the immigrant Muslim community were settled by the Congress governments in the past to build vote bank.
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