On Wednesday, the Lakhimpur district of Assam began its drive to evict Bengali-speaking Muslim communities from forest land, putting 299 houses on a 250-hectare land in the dark.
Most of the Bengali-speaking Muslims who were forcibly relocated stated they were unable to collect all of their belongings and that their crops had also been harmed.
According to authorities, 200 civic officials, 600 police, and CRPF members, as well as 43 excavators and 25 tractors, were deployed for the operation in Mohghuli village.
Hasmat Alam (name changed on request), a witness to the demolition of his home, claimed to have lived in the neighborhood for the last 28 years.
“The crop was successful this year. I raised cauliflower, cabbage, and brinjal, and I also sold part of the vegetables in the market. Nevertheless, the drive damaged around 70% of the crop,” he said.
Authorities were observed destroying the crops using tractors and bulldozers. The ponds and fisheries were also filled by the excavators.
The All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) described the eviction campaign as “inhuman and one-sided” and organized a small demonstration in the Lakhimpur district’s Sonapur neighborhood.
One of those impacted by the campaign, Rahima Khatun, claimed that agriculture was their sole source of subsistence.
“The area where the drive was taking place has neither a mosque nor a school; instead, agriculture is the main usage of these areas. Our survival is now in jeopardy,” she said.
Some of the victims also said that the 500 Hindu families that lived on the property were unaffected by the drive.
One of them stated that the “government must evict them too” if it is truly worried about encroachment.
This story was originally published in muslimmirror.com . Read the full story here