Assam: Affected people of eviction drive at Silsako Beel raise voice against government's action

Several people gathered for a protest against the eviction drive carried out by the Assam government in February this year at Silsako Beel in Guwahati on May 10.

During the protest, the protestors came down heavily on the government and alleged that the latter carried out eviction without proper notification.

''It wouldn't have happened if we hadn't voted for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). If they want to kill us, let them kill us at once. They have a force to kill us. We voted them to protect us not to kill us and destroy our houses without a proper notice,'' said one of the protestors while speaking to India Today NE.

Miffed over his situation, following the eviction another protestor alleged that in the name of the eviction drive, the government threw them on roads.

''Despite knowing the fact that we are natives of Assam, they (Government) threw us on roads. The injustice which has been done to us due to this we are protesting,'' the protestor added.

The other protestors also claimed that the eviction drive was carried out without serving notice.

''It has been said that the eviction drive was carried out as per an act of 2008. If we go by this act, then what was the government doing from 2008 to 2023? If Water Bodies Act was constituted in 2008, then there was development going on till 2020 as roads were built along with other infrastructure projects. Why demarcation was not done? Nobody would have dared to enter the area, if demarcation was done time,'' the protestor added. 

The protestors said that they are protesting as they are not getting any answer from the government on the same. They also requested the government to help them out. 

Authorities in Guwahati, on February 27, evicted some 300 families of indigenous people and razed two temples as part of the Himanta Biswa Sarma government’s ongoing drive against the encroachment of government land in Assam. 

At least 1,000 police personnel were deployed at Guwahati’s Silsako Beel to clear out around 132 acres of land from alleged encroachers. A temple dedicated to the goddess Durga and one to Lord Shiva was also pulled down.

Also read: Himanta Biswa Sarma led double-engine government destroyed Assam’s economy, alleges AJP