This Is land jihad: Assam CM says evictions are battle to reclaim land, identity, and stop demographic overrun

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 15, 2025

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday strongly defended the state’s ongoing eviction drives, framing them as a dual effort to reclaim encroached land and resist what he described as “land jihad” a deliberate attempt to alter the demographic balance in parts of the state.

Speaking at a press conference in Guwahati, Sarma claimed that the government has recovered over 1,19,548 bighas (160 sq km) of land across Assam since 2021. This includes large stretches of forest land, government khas land, grazing reserves, and land belonging to Sattra and other religious institutions.

According to Sarma, the drive is aimed not only at preserving the state’s environmental resources but also at pushing back against a “larger conspiracy” by a section of the population to change the demographic profile of Upper Assam.

The Chief Minister said that since the BJP-led government came to power in 2021, a total of 1,19,548 bighas — approximately 160 square kilometres — have been freed from encroachment. Of this, 84,743 bighas were forest land, including reserve forests, national parks, and wildlife sanctuaries, while 26,713 bighas were government khas land. Another 3,643 bighas were reclaimed from Village and Professional Grazing Reserves (VGR and PGR), and 4,400 bighas were land belonging to sattras, namghars, and temples.

Sarma named several districts where large-scale evictions were carried out, including Sonitpur (39,427 bighas), Lakhimpur (13,481 bighas), Darrang (17,905 bighas), Hojai (10,749 bighas), and Goalpara (8,880 bighas). He also gave detailed figures for smaller recoveries in Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Cachar, Dhubri, Hailakandi, Kamrup, and other districts.

The Chief Minister claimed that many of those evicted were not landless as claimed, but individuals who had property in their native districts. He alleged that these migrations, often from Laharighat and other regions, were orchestrated to settle in forest areas and shift voting blocs.

Citing examples, Sarma said forest destruction in areas like Burachapori, Lumding, and Pabha was not random but part of organized occupation. In Burachapori, he said, farmlands were illegally created by cutting down forest plantations, leading to the loss of ten rhinos. In Lumding Reserve Forest, he claimed over 200 elephants have returned following the eviction and reforestation.

Responding to criticism that evictions were being carried out for corporate projects, Sarma said, “Animals are corporates for us.” He argued that the drives were crucial for environmental restoration, citing the return of rhinos, tigers, and elephants to their former habitats after thousands of trees were planted on reclaimed land.

In recent years, large areas have been cleared in some of the state’s most sensitive ecological zones. According to official data shared by the CM, 2,112 hectares were recovered in Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuary, 1,750 hectares in Pabha Reserve Forest, 2,899 hectares in Orang Tiger Reserve, and 1,410 hectares in Lumding Reserve Forest. An additional 130 hectares were cleared in Athibari Reserve Forest in Goalpara district this March.

Sarma said that some tribal settlers on forest land will be rehabilitated under the Forest Rights Act, but claimed that over 60 per cent of those occupying forest areas are non-tribals. He alleged that this demographic shift, if left unchecked, could reduce the indigenous Assamese population to a minority in several regions, including Upper Assam.

“Forest destruction is being used as a smokescreen. The real issue is demographic change,” he said, alleging that settlements are being planned to shift voting patterns. “This is land jihad,” he added. “Our aim is to protect jati, mati, bheti.”

The eviction drives, which have drawn criticism from opposition parties and rights groups for their alleged heavy-handedness, will continue, Sarma said. He warned that the campaign to reclaim forest and government land is far from over. “Only one-fortieth of the work has been completed,” he added.