See how the ‘encroachments’ were evicted in Dholpur, Assam.

The displaced have been provided a temporary shelter in the southern part of Dholpur. However, they are not allowed to enter the project area.

Sirajul Haq, a resident of Dholpur, claims that he has lived in Dholpur for many generations. But the journey to these villages now feels like crossing the Indo-China border.

As a result, they are also deprived of basic medical facilities as all the roads connecting Dholpur to Garukhati Mini Primary Health Center have been cut off.
Upamanyu Hazarika, Supreme Court lawyer and convener of Prabajan Birodhi Mancha, an anti-trafficking agency, identified the evicted persons as “Bangladeshis” and provided citizenship documents with easy access to these centers. Provided them with convenience.

These people came around 1980-85. Their numbers have increased and this is the standard practice of how intruders come and occupy lands and evict locals.
This series has been going on since 1985 and has now reached its peak. What has happened is that they have become a vote bank for our political parties, “he said.

In Assam, when it comes to the eviction of the Bengali-Muslim community, there is a thin line between illegal settlers and illegal immigrants. Community citizenship is often questioned.
As of April 2022, at least five cases are being fought in the Guwahati High Court over the eviction campaign in Sipahar. The last PIL, signed by Sirajul Haq and 246 others, was filed in August 2021. The evicted persons are now at the mercy of the judiciary while awaiting verdicts in the cases.