Casualties inevitable in war against encroachment, says Jayanta Mallabaruah
Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah compares the anti-encroachment campaign to a war, asserting casualties may occur but are necessary to protect indigenous rights and identity.
Jayanta Mallabaruah (Photo: @jayanta_malla / X)
Guwahati, July 25: As the Assam government prepares to intensify its eviction drive across Assam, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah has made strong remarks likening the eviction campaigns to a war, stating that casualties may be inevitable but are justified in the larger interest of preserving the rights and identity of indigenous Assamese people.
“Even a war has casualties. In this war against illegal encroachment, we may also witness some unfortunate incidents. But let me be clear, the government is prepared to compensate for any such losses,” said Minister Mallabaruah while addressing the media in Guwahati on Friday. He was responding to growing debates around the humanitarian implications of large-scale evictions in the region.
Referring to the incidents of suspected illegal settlers allegedly attacking Assam Police personnel and disturbing peace, Mallabaruah stated, “It is a sad reality that illegal encroachers are not just occupying land but are now aggressively confronting the state machinery and our indigenous population. This is unacceptable. The BJP government will always stand firmly for the security and rights of the indigenous people of Assam.”
The Minister emphasized that if immediate and strict action is not taken, Assam risks losing its unique cultural and demographic identity. “The indigenous Assamese community must come together to protect our demography and heritage. If we don’t act now, our voice and identity may be permanently lost,” he warned.
The ongoing campaign targets illegal encroachments in the Adingiri hill and nearby forested zones of Guwahati. Notices have already been served to alleged encroachers in the Surjyapahar area, where the administration claims suspicious individuals have settled and set up unauthorized structures, including madrasas and mosques, on forest land. These individuals have been ordered to vacate within seven days or face eviction.
Forest department officials have cited violations of Sections 24 and 25 of the Assam Forest Regulation, 1891, pointing to deforestation and unauthorized settlement inside protected zones of the Fatasil Reserve Forest.
As the administration prepares to deploy bulldozers and launch the eviction drive within the next week, security has been tightened in the region.