"Eviction Based On Religion Led To Naga Aggression": Akhil Gogoi On Uriamghat

Raijor Dal president and Sibsagar MLA Akhil Gogoi on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Assam government over its ongoing eviction drives along the Assam-Nagaland border, accusing the administration of communalising the process while failing to protect indigenous people’s land.

Citing recent incidents in Uriamghat and Merapani, Gogoi alleged that evictions carried out by the state primarily displaced Assamese residents, creating a vacuum that has since been exploited by “Naga miscreants.”

“In Uriamghat, the government evicted mostly Assamese people, and now Naga groups have entered the area. In Negheri Bil near the Doyang Reserved Forest, armed Naga miscreants have even fired upon local residents. Today, those lands are being occupied by Nagas,” Gogoi said.

He further alleged that the government’s actions were driven by a Hindutva agenda. “The evictions were carried out in the name of religion. Minorities were targeted in Uriamghat and Negheri Bil, and we accepted it silently. But now, Nagas, including Christians, have taken over those lands. The government boasted of protecting the community and its foundations, yet the reality is the people of Assam have lost their homes while Nagas have grabbed their land,” he stated.

According to Gogoi, even the state police and paramilitary forces remain hesitant before armed Naga groups. “The CRPF speaks in favour of Nagaland while our people suffer. This eviction has only deepened communal unrest,” he added, warning against selective eviction drives carried out in the name of religion.

Second Phase of Eviction Drive Begins

Meanwhile, the Forest Department on Monday resumed eviction operations at Uriamghat in Golaghat district, marking the start of the second phase of the drive inside the Rengma Reserved Forest.

In the first phase earlier this year, nearly 11,000 bighas of forest land were cleared and around 4,000 houses demolished. Building on that, authorities have now launched fresh operations targeting new encroachments.

From 10 AM on Monday, simultaneous eviction drives were carried out at Krishnapur and Haldhibari. Security was tightened with barricades and large-scale deployment of police and paramilitary forces. To accelerate demolition, over a hundred excavators have been pressed into service.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in a social media post, said the second phase aims to free around 2,500 bighas of encroached forest land. After Krishnapur and Haldhibari, the drive will gradually extend to Rananagar, Hatidubi, Madhupur No.1, Durgapur and adjoining areas.

In Haldhibari, the administration also targeted the illegal empire of alleged supari mafia Asad Ali. A massive betel nut processing unit run by him was completely demolished. Officials claimed that Ali had built a sprawling illegal trade network in the region, which is now being dismantled.

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