Centre Fully Backs Assam Eviction Drive: Himanta
Sarma cites Amit Shah’s support; vows to continue clearing encroachments across state
A day after Union home minister Amit Shah’s visit, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that the Centre was backing and supporting their ongoing eviction drive fully and would extend all possible help. He asserted that campaign of the fundamentalist Muslim leaders like Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president Maulana Mahmood Madani and others would not stop the drive.
Stating that the Assam government was committed to free encroached land, Sarma said that over 160 sq km has been cleared of encroachment since his government took over in May 2021.
It is significant that most of the people displaced due to the eviction drive are from the Bengali-speaking Muslims community, who claim that their ancestors had moved and settled in the areas where drives were carried out after their land in the 'char' or riverine areas were washed away, due to erosion by the Brahmaputra river.
Informing 33 infiltrators had been pushed back to Bangladesh, as part of Assam’s ongoing drive against cross-border migration, Sarma said the 'push back' is happening on two fronts in the state, with action being taken against both fresh immigrants and those residing after entering post-1971.
Sarma posted on his social media handle on Saturday, playing on John Denver’s iconic ‘Take me home, country roads’ posted” “Now playing on illegal infiltrators playlist — Assam Police take me home, to the place I belong. 33 new infiltrators have been PUSHED BACK to where they belong — Bangladesh. BEWARE: Our stringent efforts continue and will further intensify in the coming days (sic).”
Sarma also came down heavily on Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president Maulana Mahmood Madani who demanded his removal and criminal action against him over the state’s eviction drives.
Sarma said, “I want to tell Madani and Rahul Gandhi that the more you threaten me and my state, we will take up Lachit Borphukan’s weapon — Hengdang (a long-bladed sword) — and prove that we know how to live in this country. The indigenous Assamese people are now alert. I challenge them both if they have guts, come and fight with us. Till the last drop of blood, we will fight, and not only fight but win.”