The Assam government on Sunday resumed its eviction drive in Goalpara district to clear alleged encroachments on 1,140 bighas (over 376 acres) of forest land within the Dahikata Reserve Forest, affecting nearly 600 families, mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims.

Goalpara Deputy Commissioner Prodip Timung said the eviction operation was progressing “peacefully” and that prior notices had been issued more than two weeks ago, directing residents to vacate the area.

“There were 580 families who had encroached upon 1,140 bighas of land. Around 70% of them have already vacated after receiving notices, and the rest are in the process of moving out,” he told PTI.

The administration has deployed a large contingent of security personnel and heavy machinery, including excavators and tractors, to carry out the demolitions. The area has been divided into five blocks, and resistance has been reported only in one, Timung added. “We expect to complete the exercise by the end of the day,” he said.

The eviction, he clarified, is being carried out in accordance with the directions of the Gauhati High Court, which has earlier heard multiple petitions concerning the drive.

Since Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assumed office in 2021, the State has seen a series of eviction drives to remove what the government describes as “encroachments,” most of which have affected Bengali-speaking Muslim populations.

Sarma recently reiterated that eviction operations would continue, asserting that “illegal Miyas” would not find peace under his government. The term Miya, originally used as a slur for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, has in recent years been reclaimed by members of the community as a marker of identity.

(With inputs from PTI)