Dhubri: A massive eviction drive in Assam’s Dhubri district has left up to 750 families displaced after the district administration cleared approximately 650 bighas of government land in the Alamganj Ninth Block, Panbari, and Rangamati areas.
The large-scale operation, which commenced early yesterday morning, utilized 60 bulldozers and excavators backed by a heavy police contingent to demolish hundreds of structures.
While officials termed the drive peaceful, tension and grief gripped the affected communities, composed largely of Bengali-origin Muslims. The administration stated that a 15-day notice period was given to residents to prove legal occupancy, and electricity was disconnected days prior to the operation.
Dhubri Deputy Commissioner Dibakar Nath noted that nearly 80 per cent of the residents had already dismantled their homes and shifted their belongings before the heavy machinery arrived. "The land cleared is government khas land, and due process was followed," an official statement noted.
However, the displaced residents fiercely rejected the "encroacher" label, claiming ancestral ties to the land. Many asserted they were forced to settle in the area in the 1960s after losing their original homes to severe erosion by the Brahmaputra River.
"We are not illegal encroachers. My family has lived here since 1968, and we have touzi receipts showing land revenue payments to the government up until 2016," said 68-year-old resident Abdul Kashem.
Local leaders expressed anger over the demolition of community structures, including mosques and graveyards.
Though families approached the court seeking immediate relief, no stay order was granted before the demolition began. The displaced population, now facing temporary displacement, is looking toward the formal court hearing scheduled for November 13 to contest the eviction and seek rehabilitation.