Around 40 families were evicted from Kanara Satra, in lower Assam’s Barpeta district, on Monday as part of an eviction drive to free public land of alleged illegal encroachment, even as an MLA from the Opposition Congress, who protested and called for rehabilitation of those evicted, was detained.
This comes a week after a major eviction drive to free public land from alleged encroachers at Batadrava Than in Nagaon district.
A senior police officer told The Indian Express that 400-bigha land was encroached in Kanara Satra many years ago. “Approximately 400 people were evicted today,” the officer said. “Between 45 and 60 structures, all of them semi-permanent, were demolished. There was no resistance from those evicted; the whole process was carried out peacefully.”
Satra is a form of Hindu Vaishnavite monastery.
According to officials, the alleged encroachers were given prior notice and were told that they were illegally occupying government land.
An administration official, who was seen executing the eviction drive, confirmed to reporters present that 40 families were evicted. “They were served individual notices thrice and public notice was issued once about the eviction drive. Forty-five families used to stay here, of whom five had left after notices were served. The remaining 40 families were evicted today,” the official said.
Congress MLA from Baghbor Assembly constituency, Sherman Ali, was detained from the spot after he staged a protest, demanding rehabilitation of those evicted.
Before he was detained and taken to the local police station, Ali told the media, “The government must stop evictions without giving suitable rehabilitation to eviction victims. I demand that these people be rehabilitated within one month.”
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On December 19, the authorities had evicted 359 families to clear alleged encroachment of approximately 1,000 bighas — or 1.35 sq km land — around Batadrava Than, the birthplace of renowned Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardev.
The eviction drive had sparked a political controversy, with Opposition Congress and AIUDF MLAs staging a walkout from the state Assembly the next day and some AIUDF leaders claiming that the state government was targetting one community in the guise of freeing public land of encroachment. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, however, maintained that illegal encroachments on government and forest lands would continue to be cleared as long as BJP governs Assam.
“All people, whether Hindus or Muslims, will have to vacate Satra land. We request people to leave encroached land, otherwise we will carry out eviction drives,” Sarma had said.
