Guwahati, Oct 26 (PTI) Assam Finance Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah on Monday said eviction drives in the state were not directed against any particular religion or community, asserting that due legal procedures were followed while clearing encroachments from reserve forests.
Responding to a social media post by Bangladesh Parliament’s Leader of the Opposition Shafiqur Rahman expressing concern over the eviction of Muslim families and demolition of mosques in Assam, Baruah said forest protection and the rule of law could not be viewed selectively through a “religious lens”.
The minister, who also holds the Forest and Climate Change portfolio, said the government “understands” people’s difficulties when an eviction is carried out.
“We respect every community and understand the human difficulties involved in such proceedings. But forest protection and the rule of law cannot be selectively interpreted through a religious lens,” Baruah said.
He said notices had been served well in advance and the government had waited for the rainy and flood season to end, recognising the difficulties displacement could cause to families.
“This was neither an arbitrary action nor one directed against any particular religion or community… Notices were served well in advance,” he said, adding that the occupants had been given time to vacate their homes and remove their belongings.
Baruah said the operation was conducted peacefully, without reported resistance or use of force.
He said the proceedings followed directions of the Supreme Court.
Eviction proceedings were carried out on October 17 and 18 across 314 hectares of notified forest land in Lutumari Reserve Forest in Nagaon district, involving 563 families, Baruah said.
“On behalf of the Forest Department, I must emphasise that protecting notified forest land is both a legal responsibility and an ecological necessity,” he said.
The reclaimed land would be restored with indigenous forest species to regenerate wildlife habitats, particularly those of elephants, and help reduce human-elephant conflict, he said.
In November last year, the first phase of eviction to clear alleged encroachments from 5,962 bighas, or nearly 798 hectares, of land in Lutumari Reserve Forest affected around 1,700 families.
Of these, 563 families approached the Supreme Court, claiming legal rights over the land. After their petitions were disposed of on September 2, the second phase of the eviction drive was conducted on October 17 and 18 this year, Baruah said.
Anti-encroachment operations were also carried out in Borpani Reserve Forest in Nagaon district, as well as in parts of Hojai and Golaghat districts, affecting more than 500 families.
Rahman, in his post, expressed “deep concern” over the eviction of Muslim families and the demolition of mosques in Assam.
“More than 1,100 families were subjected to eviction within just two days. Local residents have also reported that 10 more Mosques were demolished during these eviction drives, some of which were over 50 years old,” he said.
Citing two eviction-related cases before the Gujarat High Court and the Supreme Court, Rahman said the judiciary had also failed to provide protection to the affected people.
“The Indian government is not only failing to protect the rights of Muslim minorities but is also undermining their rights in various ways. Such incidents run counter to humanity, the rule of law, and the values of a civilised society,” he said.
Rahman, who identifies himself as the Ameer-e-Jamaat (chief) of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in his social media profile, said such actions must be condemned regardless of where they occurred or who was responsible.
He also appealed to people in Bangladesh not to allow provocations to create religious divisions or social unrest, and urged them to preserve social harmony. PTI TR TR SOM
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