Guwahati, Assam — December 2025:
The Assam Government has launched one of its largest eviction operations of the year, reclaiming more than 2,000 acres of land from what it has termed “illegal encroachment” in the Lutumari Forest Reserve located in Dhing Revenue Circle of Nagaon district. The November 2025 operation is part of a statewide anti-encroachment campaign that has triggered massive displacement, primarily affecting Bengali-origin Muslim communities.

Operation in Nagaon District: Lutumari Reserve

The latest drive in Lutumari Forest Reserve, Nagaon, involved the clearance of approximately:

• 2,000+ acres (≈5,962 bighas) of government and forest land
• Hundreds of structures, including homes, shops, temporary shelters, and agricultural installations

District officials reported that most evicted households had been residing in the forest-edge settlements of:

• Lutumari
• Balisatra area
• Kaliabor fringe villages

The eviction was conducted under heavy security, with:

• Over 1,500 personnel from Assam Police, commandos, and forest protection forces
• Dozens of excavators and bulldozers
• A coordinated cordon-and-search operation that began before dawn

Authorities stated that the land had been “illegally encroached for decades by settlers without valid land titles.”

Statewide Drives: Golaghat, Goalpara, Dhubri

The Lutumari operation follows a pattern of large-scale evictions across multiple districts:

Golaghat District – Uriamghat Sector

• Target area: Uriamghat Reserve Forest
• Land reclaimed: approx. 4,900 acres
• Families impacted: around 2,000
• Notable villages cleared:
  • Dapathar area
  • No. 3 and No. 4 Chinatoli clusters
  • Forest-edge settlements bordering Nagaland

Goalpara District

• Evictions near Kushdhowa, Matia, and Darangiri
• Several hundred households removed from land designated as Satra land and government grazing reserves

Dhubri District

• Clearances conducted in riverine (char) areas of:
  • South Salmara
  • Choradubi
• Authorities claimed these were high-risk infiltration corridors near the international border

Government’s Position: ‘Protecting Indigenous Land’

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has repeatedly defended the drives, stating:

• The government has reclaimed over 42,500 acres since 2021
• The evictions aim to “protect indigenous land rights”
• They are necessary to counter what he terms “illegal Bangladeshi infiltration” and “demographic invasion”
• The state intends to continue the campaign until Assam is “100% encroachment-free”

Officials maintain that all evicted individuals are “illegal settlers” occupying forest and community land without permission.

Families’ Claims: ‘We Are Legal Citizens’

Thousands of displaced residents — overwhelmingly Bengali-speaking Muslims — dispute the government’s narrative.

Residents from Lutumari, Uriamghat, and other sites say they possess:

• Legacy land records
• Ration cards and Aadhaar
• Names in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft lists
• Voter IDs linked to the area
• PMAY-G (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin) houses sanctioned by government agencies

Many claim they had been living in these villages for 20–40 years, with functioning:

• Electricity connections
• Tube wells and piped water
• Panchayat-issued certificates
• Nearby schools and health centres

Several residents allege that they received no prior notice, or were given only hours to vacate their homes.

Criticism and Rights Concerns

Opposition leaders, civil society organisations, and rights groups have condemned the operations as:

• “Inhuman and discriminatory”
• “Targeted eviction of a specific religious and linguistic community”
• “Weaponisation of immigration rhetoric for political ends”

Human rights groups have also highlighted the challenges faced by displaced families, many of whom are now living in:

• Makeshift relief camps
• Open fields near Lutumari and Dhing
• Temporary tents along the Nagaon–Golaghat border

Outlook

With the Chief Minister reiterating his commitment to continue the anti-encroachment policy, further eviction drives are expected in the coming months in Karimganj, Morigaon, and parts of Barpeta.