533 Bighas Lost Again: Assam's Jogighopa Shows Why Eviction Drives Are Necessary

In Jogighopa’s Pachania area under Assam’s Bongaigaon district, a large expanse of government grazing land measuring approximately 533 bighas has once again fallen prey to illegal encroachment. The land had been cleared by district administration months ago, but now a new settlement has appeared almost overnight.

Earlier, Bongaigaon Deputy Commissioner Nabadeep Pathak had issued a strict order setting July 29 as the final deadline for all encroachers to vacate the government-owned grazing land. The notice created a stir in the area, and many people staying there dismantled their huts and left the location on their own. And because of this, the administration did not have to bring in bulldozers or forcefully remove anyone.

However, according to local sources, the situation began to change gradually. Slowly and quietly, people began returning. First one structure came up, then another, and gradually more houses started appearing, and within a very short time, the entire area was reoccupied. Almost overnight, a new settlement resembling a full-fledged village emerged on the 533-bigha land.

Local residents have expressed disappointment, accusing the administration of turning a blind eye and failing to monitor the area after the eviction. They alleged that the inactive role of Srijangram Revenue Circle Officer Jayanta Chakraborty has enabled the illegal occupation to resume without resistance.

This incident has once again brought into focus the contentious issue of eviction drives in Assam. Whenever eviction operations take place, they often lead to public outrage, emotional scenes and of course, political controversy. Many blame the government for being too strict, too sudden or insensitive toward the families being removed. Evictions are often portrayed as cruelty by the administration, and videos of people losing their homes frequently go viral, creating sympathy and anger among the public.

But situations like this in Jogighopa bring up the obvious question: When a government land that was cleared without conflict, is occupied once again quietly, what is the administration expected to do? Does this not show why the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government insists that strict measures must be taken to protect public land?

This repeated cycle of eviction and re-encroachment is exactly why the government says that such drives are necessary, even if it requires bulldozers and large police squads. Without constant monitoring, the very purpose of eviction becomes meaningless. Government land, meant for public use, in this case as grazing land, ends up locked in an endless tug-of-war between the state and those seeking shelter.

If there is no proper follow-up by the district administration after eviction drives are carried out, the land can easily end up in the same condition again, just like what has happened in Jogighopa.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said earlier this year that over 25,000 acres of land across the state have been cleared of illegal encroachment in the last four years. While this shows the scale of the government’s efforts, cases like Jogighopa make one wonder: how much of this land has been re-encroached?

(With Inputs from Khademul Hussain, Reporter (Jogighopa), Pratidin Time)

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