Since it assumed power in Assam in 2016, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government has carried out massive eviction drives across the state. Over the last four years, the government has launched eviction drives in at least 17 districts, leaving hundreds of people homeless.
In October 2012, a PIL was filed by Mrinal Saikia, a BJP MLA, demanding the eviction of illegal immigrants from the Kaziranga National Park (KNP). Three years later, on October 9, 2015, the Gauhati High Court passed an order directing the state to take expeditious steps to evict the immigrants from the park. The court also ordered the government to inquire into reports of poaching in the park.
What started as an eviction drive by the state in the fringe areas of the KNP in central Assam’s Kaliabor in September 2016 later expanded to Sipajhar, Dhubri, Amchang, Kuruwa, Mangaldai, Hojai, Mayong, Gogamukh, Jamugurihat and Barpeta, among several other places.
The latest eviction drive by the state was undertaken in September 2019 in Mahmordiya _char _(riverine areas of the Brahmaputra are locally called char) under the Palashbari revenue circle, following several complaints by a local organisation.
In its initial complaint, the Dakshin Kamrup Siyalmara Dugdha Samabay Committee, a cooperative body of dairy farmers in the state, alleged that over 20 families from a nearby char, known as Bhatkhowadiya, have been living on 900 bighas (144.45 hectares) of land in Mohmardiya char under the jurisdiction of the Palashbari police station in Kamrup (Metro) district. After repeated complaints, the circle officer ordered the laat mandal (a government-appointed body that maintains land records) to conduct an inquiry into the allegations. The mandal submitted its report to the circle officer on November 1, 2019.
The report stated that 12 families have settled in Mohmardiya and built bamboo huts. It further mentioned that around 400 bighas (64.2 hectares) of Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) land (which fall under the jurisdiction of the revenue department) were used for cultivation by these families. These individuals used to reside in different _char _areas before being forced to relocate in Mohmardiya due to erosion.
Based on the report of the mandal, the circle officer subsequently served eviction notices to the 12 families on November 11, asking them to vacate the land immediately. But the families refused and continued to live on the PGR land.
A week later, on November 19, a team of officials from the Palashbari Revenue Circle, with the help of local police, carried out the eviction drive in Mohmardiya char. During the drive, they demolished more than 25 houses (some families had built more than one house) and destroyed crops in around 144.5 hectares of land.
In footage accessed by LCW, the evicted people said they have been living at the char for a decade, where they had settled after losing their lands to erosion in nearby Goroimari and Kelkeli chars. “We have no option. We have no place to stay; we are homeless now,” Rejina Khatun, an evicted woman, told a local reporter who covered the eviction. She and other evicted people asked the government to provide them immediate rehabilitation.
The evicted people have now taken shelter in nearby Bhatkhowadiya char. The state government has, so far, not offered them any kind of shelter.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for rehabilitation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Urban
Type of Land
Common
Non-Forest (Grazing Land)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Forced evictions/dispossession of land
Non-rehabilitation of displaced people
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Displacement
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Revenue officials, with the help of the police, demolished more than 25 houses and damaged crops during an eviction drive.
Date of Violation
November 18, 2019
Location of Violation
Mahmordiya
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
State Revenue & Disaster Management Department, State Environment and Forest Department
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Yes
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
No
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Mahesh is a journalist based in Guwahati, Assam. He is currently a senior copy editor in Northeast Now (nenow.in), a bilingual news portal covering Northeast India. He has formerly worked as a senior reporter in Eastern Chronicle, an English daily published from Kolkata and Guwahati, and as a senior sub editor in The Sentinel, an English daily published from Guwahati. He is a recipient of the National Media Award presented by the National Foundation for India, New Delhi. Mahesh has completed five media fellowships on diverse issues in the Northeastern region and translates from English to Assamese and vice versa. His translated work so far is Prachanda: Maobadi Bidrohor Anya Naam.
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