Amid Eviction Drive, 36 Bangladeshi Infiltrators Pushed Back By Assam Police in Sribhumi and South Salmara

Guwahati, Assam: In a major crackdown on illegal infiltrators, the Assam police have pushed back 36 individuals from Bangladesh to their country from the Sribhumi and South Salmara areas, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday.

In a post on X, Sarma shared photos and wrote, “Alert eyes, swift action. 36 illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators have been pushed back to Bangladesh from Sribhumi and South Salmara. These illegal infiltrators change our demography and infringe upon the rights of the indigenous population and will be pushed back to where they belong.”

This development follows Chief Minister Sarma’s statement on Sunday that all unauthorized occupations of Village Grazing Reserves (VGRs), Professional Grazing Reserves (PGRs), Satras, Naamghars, forest land, and other public areas would be cleared in a phased manner.

"The government will clear all illegal encroachments on VGRs, PGRs, Satras, Naamghars, and forest land across the state in a systematic and phased manner," said CM Sarma.

Eviction Drive In Assam

Assam has intensified its efforts against illegal infiltrators from Bangladesh amid an ongoing eviction drive in the state.

Earlier this month, the state police pushed back 10 illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators from the Sribhumi sector.

The Assam government has conducted eviction drives in various parts of the state to remove illegal settlers who have encroached on government lands, forest lands, and VGR/PGR lands.

The Assam government has already reclaimed more than 1.29 lakh bighas of land from illegal infiltrators.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Uriamghat in Golaghat district on Friday to inspect areas that have been encroached upon and for which the state government has issued eviction notices.

Sarma noted that thousands of bighas of land in the area had been unlawfully occupied. He observed that certain families had encroached upon as much as 300 to 400 bighas of land, using it for various economic activities.

Emphasizing that the government could not remain indifferent to such developments, the Chief Minister affirmed that appropriate action would follow and urged the public to cooperate with the measures the state government intends to implement.

'Bangladeshis Are Not Welcome': Assam CM Sarma Slams Syeda Hameed's Remark

Earlier in the day, Sarma criticized former Planning Commission member Syeda Hameed over her remarks suggesting that "Bangladeshis can live in India," accusing her of legitimizing illegal infiltrators in the state.

The Chief Minister asserted that Bangladeshis are not welcome in Assam and suggested that those sympathizing with them may accommodate them in their own backyards.

In a post on X, Sarma wrote, "People like Syeda Hameed, a close confidant of the Gandhi family, legitimize illegal infiltrators, as they seek to realize Jinnah's dream of making Assam a part of Pakistan. Today, Assamese identity is on the brink of extinction because of the tacit support of people like her. But we are the sons and daughters of Lachit Barphukan. WE WILL FIGHT till the last drop of our blood to save our state and our identity."

"Let me make it very clear: Bangladeshis are not welcome in Assam; it is not their land. Anyone sympathizing with them may accommodate them in their own backyards. Assam is not up for grabs by illegal infiltrators, NOT NOW, NOT EVER," he added.

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