Illegal Land Encroachments in Assam’s Jonai Spark Eviction Demands

Disturbing visuals captured via drone have exposed the extent of illegal encroachments across several areas in Jonai, a tribal-majority region in Assam's Dhemaji district. The footage reveals rows upon rows of houses built on both government and private lands, allegedly by illegal settlers, many of whom, according to local organisations, are of suspected Bangladeshi origin.

In areas such as Murkongselek and other parts of the designated Tribal Belt and Block, hundreds of illegal structures have sprung up over the years. What were once vacant government lands and riverine sandbars have now been transformed into dense settlements. Local organisations allege that this has been happening unchecked for years, as successive administrations failed to take any concrete action.

“How did these houses come up? Who built them and when? These are now the burning questions among the people of Jonai,” said members of various indigenous groups.

For years, allegations of illegal infiltration and settlement by suspected Bangladeshis in Jonai have surfaced repeatedly. However, no major eviction drive has been carried out in the region, despite growing concerns from indigenous communities about demographic changes and land rights.

With the current BJP-led government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma conducting eviction drives against illegal encroachers in other parts of Assam, the spotlight has now shifted to Jonai. Indigenous groups, particularly the Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK) and Tribal Sangha, have demanded similar action in Jonai.

On July 25, the TMPK organised a massive protest rally in Jonai, demanding the eviction of all illegal settlers within 15 days. The organisation has warned of intensified agitation if the government fails to initiate a prompt and effective eviction drive.

Locals fear that continued inaction could permanently alter the socio-cultural fabric of Jonai’s tribal areas, and are calling on the government to uphold the legal protections of the Tribal Belt and Block under Assam’s land laws.

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