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Amid rising concerns over eviction drives across Assam, Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) president Palash Changmai has hit out at the state government for linking land evictions with the long-standing Bangladeshi infiltration issue, calling such claims “utterly baseless” and “misleading.”
Speaking on Sunday, Changmai said, “Eviction is a separate issue altogether. If someone has encroached upon forest land illegally and unconstitutionally, it should absolutely be cleared. We support such legal evictions. But the government’s claim that the Bangladeshi problem will be solved through eviction is like saying cows can climb trees — it’s completely absurd.”
He emphasized that the real solution to the issue of illegal infiltration lies not in random eviction drives but in identifying and acting against illegal immigrants with a well-structured plan.
“This problem has existed for over four decades. More than 850 people were martyred during the Assam Agitation because of this. It’s high time the government treated this issue with seriousness and formulated a concrete policy to identify and take necessary action against illegal foreigners,” Changmai stated.
The AJYCP leader also urged the government to ensure that those who genuinely become homeless due to natural calamities or accidental encroachments are given proper rehabilitation. “Eviction must be humane. If someone is rendered landless due to a flood or other natural disaster, the government has a responsibility to rehabilitate them,” he said.
Changmai’s comments come at a time when a spate of eviction notices and land clearance drives have stirred political and social debates in Assam, with allegations of targeting specific communities and lacking rehabilitation policies.