The political climate in Assam has become increasingly heated as Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma alleged a "conspiracy" behind the movement of Bengali-speaking Muslims into regions predominantly inhabited by Hindus and Assamese Muslims.

This controversy comes in the midst of large-scale eviction drives across the State that have displaced thousands of families, mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims with roots tracing back to present-day Bangladesh.

Background of Eviction Drives

Since June 2025, the BJP-led Assam government has been conducting a series of eviction drives to clear what it claims are encroachments on government lands, including reserve forests, wetlands, and Village and Professional Grazing Reserves (VGR and PGR lands).

Key points about the evictions:

• Over 3,500 families have been evicted so far.

• Targeted lands include reserve forests, wetlands, and grazing reserves.

• Many of the displaced are Bengali-speaking Muslims who claim they were forced to encroach due to riverbank erosion displacing them from their original homes.

Mr. Sarma has insisted these evictions are legally mandated, citing Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court orders that prohibit encroachment on these lands.

CM’s Allegation of a Conspiracy

Speaking after overseeing an eviction drive in Goalpara district, CM Sarma claimed that the migration of Bengali-speaking Muslims to Hindu and Assamese Muslim dominated areas was not accidental but part of a deliberate strategy to alter the State's demographic balance.

He asked pointedly:

“Why are they moving to places 200-300 km from their native places to where Hindus or Assamese Muslims live? Our people are suffering from insecurity as a result. This is beyond eviction; there is a hidden conspiracy to make us a minority.”

Key points of his claim:

• Migration is deliberate and aimed at changing demographics.

• Suggested political leaders might be behind the plan.

• Called for an investigation to determine if migration is poverty-driven or a political conspiracy.

He also cited examples:

• During an eviction in Lakhimpur, people encroaching were from South Salmara and Sribhumi, which are hundreds of kilometres away.

• In Sarupathar constituency, people from Dhing and Rupohi settled to allegedly alter the demographic pattern.

Government’s Justification

Despite criticisms, Mr. Sarma defended the eviction drives.

He explained:

• Over 2.64 lakh acres of government land is encroached upon across Assam.

• The Supreme Court and High Court have issued strict orders prohibiting encroachment on forest land, VGR, and PGR.

• The government is legally bound to follow these orders.

He said:

“We don’t like carrying out eviction drives and pushing people out. But the Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court have given strict orders.”

Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary told the Assembly in March:

• Over 2.5 lakh hectares of forest land encroached by State residents.

• Neighbouring States have encroached on 83,000 hectares.

• Tea gardens have taken over 1,000 hectares.

Details of Recent Eviction Drives

In just the past week alone, the Assam government:

• Cleared more than 4,500 bighas (around 1,485 acres) in Dhubri and Goalpara districts.

• Removed thousands of people, many of whom had built permanent structures on government land.

Officials insist that the eviction process is:

• Lawful under existing court orders.

• Necessary to protect forest resources and reserve lands.

• Intended to end decades of encroachment that threaten the State’s environment and land rights.

Critics Cry Discrimination

Opposition parties, including the Congress, allege that the evictions are discriminatory and politically motivated.

Congress leaders claim:

• The BJP government is targeting Muslims, particularly those with Bengali-speaking heritage.

• Evictions are being used to free land for corporate projects benefiting BJP-linked industrialists.

• The moves are designed to polarise voters ahead of the Assembly election, due by May 2025.

Congress has promised:

• To provide compensation to all Indian citizens whose homes were demolished, if it comes to power in Assam.

Minority Groups’ Protests

The Jamaat Ulama Council has condemned the eviction drives as discriminatory, alleging they:

• Disproportionately target Muslims.

• Amount to unjust displacement of thousands of families.

• Should be halted immediately.

On Saturday (July 13, 2025), the All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) held Statewide protests:

• Calling the evictions "inhuman" and "anti-people".

• Arguing they displace thousands of poor and marginalised families.

• Submitting a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding his intervention to stop these actions.

The Problem of Riverbank Erosion

Many of those evicted claim they were displaced by riverbank erosion—a severe problem in Assam, where annual flooding regularly destroys villages and farmland.

Key points about erosion in Assam:

• Thousands of families lose their land every year.

• Many have no choice but to move and settle on government lands.

• Critics argue that evictions punish the victims of natural disasters instead of rehabilitating them.

Opposition parties say the government should:

• Focus on providing alternative land and rehabilitation packages.

• Build flood control infrastructure.

• Recognise displaced people as climate refugees needing support, not eviction.

Eviction Drives as a Political Tool?

Critics claim the BJP government is using evictions to:

• Appeal to Assamese nationalism by promising to protect land and resources.

• Mobilise Hindu voters by framing the issue as a demographic threat.

• Distract from economic issues and development failures.

They argue:

“By blaming Bengali-speaking Muslims, the government is creating an enemy to rally voters ahead of elections.”

Government’s Response to Critics

CM Sarma insists:

• The government is only following the law.

• Courts have ordered removal of encroachers from forest and reserve lands.

• The issue is not religious but about protecting public property.

• The State will investigate the motives behind migration to certain regions.

He said:

“We don’t want to evict people. But we are bound by the orders of the Supreme Court and High Court.”

The Larger Debate on Demographics

Assam has long struggled with identity politics, with anxieties over:

• Migration from present-day Bangladesh.

• Changing demographics in certain districts.

• The fear of becoming a minority in their own State.

These fears have historical roots going back to the Assam Agitation of the 1980s, the Nellie massacre, and the NRC exercise.

The BJP has tapped into these sentiments to strengthen its political base, promising to:

• Protect indigenous communities.

• Remove encroachers.

• Preserve Assamese identity.

Conclusion

The eviction drives in Assam have exposed deep divisions in the State over land rights, identity, and migration.

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s allegation of a "conspiracy" behind targeted migration to Hindu and Assamese Muslim areas has polarised opinions.

While the government insists it is protecting public land under legal obligations, critics see it as discriminatory and designed to polarise voters ahead of elections.

With tens of thousands of families at risk, the debate over land, identity, and justice in Assam is set to remain at the heart of the State’s political discourse in the months to come.

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