Rights advocates are concerned that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s rhetoric legitimises discrimination and forces displacement in a sensitive border region
NEW DELHI — The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Assam, under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, recently carried out a major eviction drive in Azara on the outskirts of Guwahati, demolishing around 500 homes primarily belonging to Bengali-origin Muslim families. Officials claim the settlement was on 245 acres of land reserved for indigenous tribal communities, and residents were given a 15-day eviction notice in late February.
However, many displaced families claim they had lived there for nearly two decades, having been forced to relocate due to floods and riverbank erosion. They also state their presence was known to local authorities, and some had even received government aid while living there.
Videos circulating online showed bulldozers tearing down bamboo-and-tin houses while police officers supervised the operation. Women and children stood nearby as homes were reduced to debris.
The eviction is part of a larger land clearance effort, but civil rights advocates argue these drives disproportionately affect Bengali-origin Muslim communities, many of whom are internal migrants.
Critics point to Chief Minister Sarma’s rhetoric, referring to these residents as “illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators,” which they say fuels policies targeting Muslim communities, including evictions, citizenship verification, and restrictions on land ownership.
Chief Minister Sarma has publicly supported these evictions and vowed to reclaim all land occupied by “illegal Bangladeshis” if re-elected. Rights advocates are concerned that this rhetoric legitimises discrimination and forced displacement in a sensitive border region.
