Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed the hope that indigenous people will not provide shelter to people evicted from encroached lands as the state's people have become more conscious. He stated that no amount of pressure will halt the eviction drives.
The CM said that a lot remains to be done for the security of the Assamese community, and people's cooperation is necessary to achieve this. "I want that the encroachers should return to the places from which they came. Our people should not provide shelter to these people. Through evictions and other measures, the situation has become better, but if shelter is provided to them, things will return to the point they were before," he said.
Regarding the sympathy being shown to the encroachers by minority organisations and political parties, the CM said, "They should know that genuine people displaced from their homes due to erosion will occupy one to one and a half kathas of land. But here each person has encroached on 300 to 400 bighas of land, set up betel nut plantations, opened fisheries, etc. On the other hand, our people are crying for a patta for one bigha of land. Actually, we are victims of 'land jihad,' and not them. However, it is seen that these very people are shedding tears. But the minority organisations have not spoken out against these 'matambors' who encroached on hundreds of bighas of land."
The CM said, "While people with vested interest are opposing our eviction drives, the people of Assam are fully supporting our government's firm stance to reclaim lost territories and put these to use for the welfare of indigenous people. Already there was resentment among the people for the demographic changes brought about by encroachment, but the government's eviction drives have now cooled the anger of the people. After Uriamghat, we will carry out eviction drives in Lakhimpur, Barpeta, the hill areas of Guwahati, etc. We are carrying out eviction drives according to the court's permission. Around 29 lakh bighas of land are still encroached upon. So, despite the dharnas, protests, etc., the eviction drives will go on."
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