• 2051 families evicted from Garukhuti relocated to Dalgaon: Assam

    Regional
    2051 families evicted from Garukhuti relocated to Dalgaon: Assam
    Digital Desk: The Assam government plans to relocate all 2,051 families living in the Garukhuti Projected Area of Darrang district to the Dalgaon region. The government has been evicting these families, saying that they have encroached on Garukhuti Projected Area land plots.

    In September, the Assam Police opened fire on villagers protesting the eviction in the Sipajhar area of Garukhuti, killing two people, including a 12-year-old child. In the localities where eviction notices have been issued, the bulk of Muslims of Bengali heritage live.

    On January 31, Darrang MLA Majibar Rahman, district administration officials, police, and representatives from the All Assam Minority Students' Union convened a meeting to discuss future eviction drives and the transfer of families impacted.

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    The 2,051 families will be shifted to 2,051 bighas of land under the Dalgaon Revenue Circle, according to the minutes of the meeting. Each family will be given one bigha (about 27,000 square feet) of land.

    MLA Rahman of Darrang has stated that he will help with the eviction procedure. The head of the All Assam Minority Students' Union, Rejaul Karim Sarkar, said the organisation was not against eviction but sought adequate rehabilitation for individuals who were evicted.

    According to the conference minutes, 423 families living in the Niz-Salmanpara and Dhalpur-1 areas will be relocated in the first phase, while 210 families who have already left Garukhuti will be rehabilitated soon afterward.

    The procedure will be carried out by a committee led by the Dalgaon Revenue Circle's circle officer. The All Assam Minority Students' Union and the Asom Sankhalaghu Sangram Parishad, a minorities' rights organisation, have been tasked with persuading individuals to relocate.

    If anyone tries to "jeopardise the entire process," the Darrang deputy commissioner added, harsh action will be taken.

    Sipajhar killings

    The killings occurred during one of the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government's repeated eviction efforts to cleanse plots of land of persons whom it has labelled "encroachers." Many of those who have been evicted or ordered to leave are poor Muslims who had previously lost land due to floods or erosion.

    The Sipajhar deaths are being investigated by the Assam Criminal Investigation Department, which has arrested three individuals for allegedly encouraging the violence. According to the Assam Human Rights Commission, the violence constituted a prima facie case of human rights violation.