Congress Flags 'Systemic Human Rights Violations' in Assam Evictions, Writes to NHRC

In a scathing letter to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Leader of Opposition in Assam Assembly and senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia has accused the Assam government of widespread and systemic human rights violations during ongoing eviction drives across the state.

Saikia’s letter lays out a detailed account of the alleged injustices suffered by various indigenous, minority, and tribal communities under the BJP-led regime.

Saikia’s appeal to the NHRC draws attention to the eviction of thousands of families, many of them erosion-affected, landless, or living on their ancestral land for generations. He accuses the state of failing to follow due process and ignoring court directions, environmental laws, and constitutional safeguards meant to protect vulnerable groups.

Targeting Indigenous and Minority Communities

In his letter, Saikia highlighted that indigenous Boro, Karbi, Garo, Ahom communities, along with Assamese Hindus, Bengali Muslims, and tea tribe families, have been systematically displaced without proper rehabilitation.
He said that communities such as the Boro-Kachari have a recorded history of over 5,000 years in Assam, while Muslims trace their roots in the region to Ali Mech’s conversion in 1206 AD.

“The present-day tea garden communities have ties to the Chota Nagpur Plateau, Central India, and Odisha, where they recruited and brought workers to the tea garden.” Saikia wrote, pointing out that even freedom fighters from the Nepali community contributed to the anti-colonial movement in the state.

Despite these historical links, he alleged that these communities are being ‘pushed out of their rightful lands under the pretext of development and conservation’.

Massive Eviction in Dhubri

One of the central events highlighted was the July 8 eviction in Assam’s Dhubri district, where nearly 10,000 Bengali Muslim residents were displaced from over 1,100 acres of land. The homes were demolished to pave the way for a solar power project by the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL), Saikia claimed.

The rehabilitation site offered was in a flood-prone area, he said, adding that the entire project is still under legal scrutiny in the Gauhati High Court. 

“The demolition drive has violated the decision of In Re: Directions in the Matter of Demolition of Structures [WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO.295 OF 2022] decided by the Supreme Court of India,” Saikia wrote.

Violence and Deaths During Evictions

Saikia drew attention to violent outcomes of past eviction drives, citing the 2024 incident in Katchutali, Sonapur, where two villagers were killed and 33 injured in police firing during an eviction in a notified tribal area. The Congress leader also raised concerns about the destruction of agricultural lands in Nagaon’s Mikir Bamuni Grant between 2019 and 2024, where crops were allegedly destroyed for a solar project, violating environmental protection and tenancy laws.

Illegal Diversion of Forest Land

In one of the most serious charges, Saikia mentioned the diversion of forest land in Sivasagar and Hailakandi districts without Union government approval. He claimed that M.K. Yadava, former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, allowed construction of a commando battalion camp on forest land, violating provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

Following this, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change directed legal proceedings against Yadava, but the damage to protected forest land had already been done, Saikia added.

Evictions in Tribal and Autonomous Council Areas

The Congress leader alleged that in areas governed by the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution like Karbi Anglong, North Cachar Hills, and Kokrajhar, evictions were carried out without the required Gram Sabha consultations, thus violating tribal land rights and constitutional provisions.

In Hawaipur and Phuloni, he said, over 10,000 people were evicted, including Hindi-speaking settlers and tribal families from Village Grazing Reserves (VGR) and Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) lands.

In North Cachar Hills, he cited a controversial transfer of 9,000 bighas of land in Umrongso to a private company for a cement project, allegedly done without community consultation.

Displacement of Marginalised Families

Saikia listed several recent examples to show that the Assam government’s actions disproportionately affect the poor and marginalised:

• In Nalbari’s Bakrikuchi, 93 families, including erosion victims, were evicted from 82 bighas of VGR land, with Anganwadi centres and religious sites demolished on June 30.
• In Goalpara, more than 7,000 people, many erosion-affected and long-time settlers, were evicted from wetland areas with no resettlement plan.
• In Lakhimpur, 220 families were cleared from Debera Doloni and surrounding lands in July, including 300 Christian tribal families who were earlier given pucca houses under PMAY-G.

Saikia accused the administration of targeting Christian tribal converts, violating the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

He further flagged ongoing evictions in Alomganj Gaon under the "Advantage Assam 2.0" industrial project, where Muslims and erosion-hit families are being forced off patta and government lands.

Violation of Constitutional and International Human Rights

The letter invoked multiple constitutional guarantees, particularly Articles 14 (Right to Equality) and 21 (Right to Life and Livelihood), as well as India’s obligations under international treaties such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Saikia cited key Supreme Court judgments including Chameli Singh v. State of UP and Francis Coralie Mullin v. The Administrator, to argue that shelter and dignity are non-negotiable rights.

Appeal to NHRC for Urgent Intervention

The conduct of the Assam government is not only unconstitutional but deeply inhumane, Saikia stated, urging the NHRC to launch an inquiry under its powers provided in the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.

He concluded with a plea to restore the dignity of thousands affected, warning that unchecked evictions risk turning a democratic state into an authoritarian one, with no regard for law, history, or humanity.

Also Read: BREAKING: Police Open Fire During Goalpara Eviction; One Dead, Another Injured