Himanta Biswa Sarma pledges full protection for the Bengali-speaking Hindu community in the valley
SILCHAR – Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has once again drawn controversy over his bulldozer politics, this time targeting the Barak Valley region where nearly half the population consists of Bengali-speaking Muslims. His fresh order to clear alleged “encroachments” has revived allegations of selective action against Muslims in the state.
Speaking at an event in Silchar’s Rangirkhari locality on Sunday, where he unveiled a 24-foot statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Sarma pledged full protection for the Bengali-speaking Hindu community in the valley. “The government is fully committed to ensuring the safety and development of the Bengali Hindu community in Barak Valley,” the chief minister declared.
He further added that action against “encroachments in forest areas” would be as strict in Barak Valley as it has been in Brahmaputra Valley. “Protecting Assam’s ecological balance is a priority of my government,” Sarma insisted.
However, the government’s campaign has triggered fear among Muslims, who say their homes and lives are under direct threat. The region where demolitions are planned is populated by around 40 to 50 per cent Bengali-speaking Muslims.
“Why is it that only our houses are being called encroachments?” asked Abdul Karim, a resident of Barak Valley whose family has lived in the area for over four decades. “We have documents and voter identity, yet we are branded as outsiders.”
Critics argue that Sarma’s bulldozer policy is less about ecology and more about communal politics. Earlier in June, nearly 45 per cent of houses in Hasiula Beel, mostly belonging to Muslims, were demolished.
“People are living in fear,” said Rahima Begum, a local whose cousin’s house was torn down in June. “Children are traumatised, families are on the streets. The government calls us encroachers, but we have been here for generations.”
In a further escalation, the state has issued notices to the indigenous Muslim shepherd community in Assam. More than 200 homes belonging to this group face imminent demolition.
Community elders say the move is unjust. “We are Assamese Muslims. We are part of this land,” said Abdul Wahid, a shepherd leader. “How can the government label us encroachers and plan bulldozers against our homes?”
The Assam government also faced a setback when the Supreme Court recently ordered a halt to its demolition campaign in Golaghat district. Petitioners argued that their families had been living in the area for 70 years. The state, however, claimed the land belonged to forests.
The apex court directed that conditions in Golaghat should remain unchanged, dealing a blow to the state government’s aggressive bulldozer policy.
Opposition leaders and rights groups have accused the chief minister of deliberately targeting Muslims while providing assurances only to Bengali Hindus.
“All citizens deserve equal protection,” said Abdul Khaleque, Congress MP from Assam. “But what we see is a pattern: Muslims are being singled out for eviction and demolition, while others are assured security.”
Human rights advocates warn that the campaign could displace thousands of poor Muslim families. “This is not about forests; this is about majoritarian politics,” said a member of a civil society group in Guwahati.
