Assam Eviction Drive Demolishes Muslim Homes, Mosque in Settlement Established After 1983 Violence

Assam Eviction Drive Demolishes Muslim Homes, Mosque in Settlement Established After 1983 Violence
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Authorities in India’s Assam state have demolished homes, other structures and a mosque during an eviction drive at Bogeenadi PGR in Lakhimpur district, displacing families who say they were settled there by the government after the 1983 anti-Muslim violence.

The operation, conducted on Friday by revenue officials and security forces, targeted Muslim Camp, where around 25 families reportedly lived in permanent structures for more than four decades. Residents said their families had received land and identity cards from the district administration in June 1983 after fleeing attacks in Bhimpora-Bodhakora during the Assam Movement.

The demolished settlement included a mosque whose land, along with an adjoining cemetery, had reportedly been officially allotted for Muslim use in 1992. Residents cited an official letter dated September 25 of that year documenting the allocation of more than four bighas of land for these purposes.

The eviction also affected an area with established public facilities, including a primary school, an Anganwadi centre, piped water infrastructure and electricity connections. Residents alleged selective targeting, questioning why neighbouring areas occupied by other communities were excluded from the operation.

Several women protested against the demolitions, while affected families appealed to the state government for alternative rehabilitation, citing their history of displacement and the authorities’ role in settling them at Bogeenadi more than 40 years ago. The operation reportedly cleared approximately 320 hectares of land.