Guwahati: Frustration boiled over at the Sachal area of Guwahati in Assam as thousands rallied on Friday, demanding land rights, compensation, and rehabilitation for families evicted from the Silsako Beel area three years ago.
The demonstrators marched through the streets chanting slogans like, “Give us our land back, let us return home!” They accused the Assam government of breaking its promise to resettle displaced indigenous families while continuing to allocate land to large corporations and politically influential individuals.
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In 2021, soon after assuming office, the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government carried out an eviction drive targeting the Silsako Beel wetlands. This operation displaced 1,203 households, mostly from the indigenous Kachari community. Since then, the displaced families have claimed that the government has neither provided adequate compensation nor offered alternative settlements, leaving them homeless.
A protester said, “We have waited for three and a half years. The Chief Minister personally assured us that he would arrange rehabilitation soon, but asked us not to speak to the media. We stayed silent, trusting his words, but we received nothing.”
The protesters also highlighted what they called government double standards in eviction policies. “Wherever eviction drives took place, in Garukhuti, Kaziranga, Dhubri, and Goalpara, rehabilitation followed. Even illegal Bangladeshi settlers receive land. Why are we, the indigenous people, being neglected?” questioned another demonstrator.
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The crowd also targeted cabinet ministers, including PHED and Housing Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah. One protester alleged, “He encroached on 70 bighas in Rangiya, built roads to his private plots, and acquired land across Assam, from Tezpur to Majuli. Yet they say they have no land to resettle us?”
Another evicted resident recalled unfulfilled promises made by the Chief Minister during public meetings. “He said he would hold a final discussion with GMDA officials, the Deputy Commissioner, and us, but that meeting never happened. How long must we beg for what is rightfully ours?”
The protesters accused the Chief Minister of running a “land grab nexus,” alleging that the government has transferred large tracts of tribal land in Kokrajhar to major corporations such as the Adani Group. “He is building industries on the lands they evicted us from, instead of utilizing the 107 bighas owned by his ministers,” an angry protester said.
Community leaders warned that this protest marks only the beginning of their struggle. “We have waited too long. If our demands remain ignored, we will march to Janata Bhawan. We are prepared to fight to remove this government from power,” one leader declared.
The Silsako eviction has sparked broader concerns about the state government’s policies on land rights, rehabilitation, and the treatment of indigenous communities.
Despite submitting over 50 memorandums to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other senior officials, residents said they have only received empty promises.
Protesters demanded that Silsako-evicted families receive compensation and rehabilitation comparable to those in Bilasipara and other regions of Assam.