Guwahati: The eviction drives carried out by Assam government in forest and government land has become a new subject of attraction for the Islamic and left eco system. While the BJP-led government in Assam has intensified efforts to clear encroached forest and government lands occupied by Bangladeshi-origin Muslims, aiming to protect the state’s resources and uphold legal ownership of the indigenous communities, these actions have increasingly faced opposition, with Islamist organisations and sections of the left-leaning ecosystem are shielding intruders and challenging government actions.
This tug-of-war has placed Assam at the heart of a larger debate over land rights, immigration, and the intersection of security with political activism. After several groups of left activists led by IAS Harsh Mandar and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, Syeda Hamid, Jawhar Sircar, Wajahat Habibullah and Fayaz Shahid now the Jamiat Ulema e Hind leaders led by Mahmood Asad Madani is in Assam and meeting the evicted people in Goalpara district and held discussions with various Islamic leaders.
CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has warned the people of Assam regarding the visit of Jamiat leaders ahead of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) election and said that his government is accessing the situation closely to prevent any unwanted situation. In a X post CM Sarma wrote, “A delegation of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind is presently visiting Goalpara district, Assam. Considering the upcoming Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) elections and the sensitive situation in the district, the Assam police will continue to maintain strict monitoring to ensure peace and stability. The district administration is also fully alert to ensure that public order is maintained at all times.”, the CM wrote.
The Jamiat delegation members include: Maulana Mehmood Madani – President, Maulana Hakimuddin Kasimi – General Secretary, Mufti Jawed Iqbal Qasmi, Maulana Khalid Anwar, Qari Naushad Adil, Maulana Nawed Alam Qasmi and Maulana Salman. It should be mentioned that Jamiat in its last national executive meeting took resolution to dismiss Assam CM from his post and demand immediate arrest of CM Sarma. The bizarre demand of the Islamic organisation created anger amongst the local people and organisation in Assam. Protests erupted in many places of the state against Jamiat and it was clearly said by the local bodies that who will remain as the CM of Assam is a matter of the people of Assam. Jamiat has nothing to do with that. CM Sarma also informed that gangs involved in the Shaheen Bagh anti- CAA protest are also roaming in the state and trying to spread unrest taking the eviction drives as a weapon. Union home minister Amit Shah in his recent visit to Assam on 30th August in a public meeting in Guwahati said that eviction drives will continue in the state till the last inch of forest and government land is not cleared from the encroachment of illegal settlers. The indigenous people of Assam have the only right on these resources.
