The Assam government on Sunday evicted about 350 Mian Muslim families living in South Reserve Forest in Golaghat district. Most families are Muslims of Bengali origin, who are called Mian Muslims in Assam. According to the administration, about 1,000 bigha forest land has been freed.

According to the website named Scroll.in, many news videos have been revealed along with the eviction campaign, in which Assamese nationalist groups Mian are seen threatening Muslims to leave the upper Assam. In a video, Situ Barua, a member of ‘Ethnic Sangram Sen’, told a Mian man, “Shut up, Mian … Mian people will have to leave the upper Assam in 24 hours.”

Administration said – Action taken in a peaceful manner
The Golaghat administration said that encroachment was removed in Ghazaljan and number 3 in Rajpukhuri areas. Officials claimed that the campaign took place in peace and there was no opposition. The administration said that most of the families had been living in this region since the 1980s, some have claimed to have settled since 1978.

Constant eviction campaign
It was the seventh eviction campaign in Assam since 16 June. So far, about 5,300 families, especially Muslims of Bengali origin, have been evicted from their homes. Many of these families are now forced to stay on the roadside in tarpaulin huts.

More than 1,500 families evicted in Rengma Reserve Forest
On Saturday, the administration also evicted a large scale from the Rengma Reserve Forest. More than 1,500 families were removed and more than 4,000 illegal structures were broken in five days. This area falls in the disputed area belt bordering Nagaland.

Fixed further eviction
Special Chief Secretary MK Yadav informed that 205 families have been given notice in Negheribil area of Merapani and they will be removed from August 8. This area falls in the Doyang Reserve Forest.

Muslims accused of religious discrimination
The evicted people have accused the government of religious and ethnic discrimination. He says that non -Muslims living in Rengma Reserve Forest and Guwahati were not removed, while notices were given to Muslims living next to them.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s statement
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma dismissed the allegations and said that the state government will not remove ‘indigenous people’. He said that action is being taken against such people who have come from Bangladesh and occupied the land.

Sarma said, “There are two types of encroachments, if a indigenous person is living on public land, we do not consider it to be encroachment. But those who have come from Bangladesh, their case will be considered as encroachment.”

In Assam, Muslims of Mian or Bengali origin are often targeted as foreign or Bangladeshi intruders, while they have evidence of citizenship and have been living in the state for generations.