Goalpara, Assam – July 17: An eviction drive conducted by the Assam Police and Forest Department in the Paikan Reserve Forest, under the Krishnai Range of Goalpara district, turned violent on Thursday morning, leading to the death of one individual and serious injuries to several others, including police personnel. The situation escalated dramatically after police reportedly opened fire on residents who resisted the operation.
According to official sources, the clash broke out when a large group of settlers, alleged to be illegally occupying forest land, attempted to obstruct the eviction team. Eyewitness accounts and video footage circulating on social media depict agitated residents hurling stones at the eviction squad and attacking an excavator being used in the operation.
In response to the aggressive resistance, police reportedly resorted to firing upon the crowd, claiming it was an act of self-defense. One person, identified as Shakuar Hussain, succumbed to injuries sustained during the clash. Another individual, Kutubuddin Sheikh, also sustained injuries. Unverified reports indicate that multiple police and forest personnel were injured in the stone-pelting.
The eviction drive aimed to reclaim over 140 hectares of encroached land within the Paikan Reserve Forest, which spans a total area of 711 hectares. The encroached zones include the densely populated localities of Bidyapara and Betbari, where families have reportedly been residing for years without valid land documents. Officials stated that around 1,080 families, primarily of Bengali-origin Muslim communities, had been living in these areas.
Authorities had undertaken extensive preparations for the operation, including multiple rounds of patrolling and public announcements urging illegal settlers to vacate voluntarily by a deadline of July 10. While a phase of the eviction on July 12 was reportedly largely peaceful, today’s operation, which involved dismantling remaining structures and preparing the land for afforestation, met with fierce opposition.
Dramatic videos aired by local media capture the chaotic scene: agitated groups, some armed with sticks and stones, advancing toward the authorities, damaging the excavator, and chasing the eviction team. Police can be seen retreating while facing continuous stone-pelting.
Forest officials defended the action, emphasizing that unchecked encroachments have severely threatened the area’s biodiversity and ecological balance. The Paikan Reserve Forest is a protected zone and plays a crucial role in maintaining the region’s vital forest cover and wildlife corridors, particularly significant given the frequent human-elephant conflicts in the Goalpara landscape.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has consistently asserted the government’s determination to clear encroached land across the state, stating that such eviction drives are the result of painstaking legal groundwork and court clearances. However, human rights groups and opposition parties have criticized these drives, citing concerns over the lack of adequate rehabilitation for displaced communities and allegations of selective targeting.
Security has been tightened in the affected areas to prevent further escalation. An investigation into the incident, particularly regarding the use of force, is expected to be launched.
