Silent Enforcers in a Chaotic Landscape
Behind every eviction in Assam lies a frontline of uncelebrated enforcers—police officers, forest guards, and tribal villagers—who confront not only encroachers but also a system that has long neglected them. This is their story.
The Morning of Confrontation
As the morning mist lingered over Paikan Reserve Forest, bulldozers rolled in, breaking the dawn's tranquility. At barely 6 a.m., the forest's silence yielded to the roar of engines and escalating tension.
A line of forest guards, some armed only with bamboo lathis, stood resolute. Behind them, police personnel adjusted their helmets, preparing for the chaos that defined eviction mornings in Assam.
A constable from Goalpara, beads of sweat forming beneath his flak jacket, scanned the growing crowd. “It’s always like this,” he muttered. “They come with children and Qurans. The cameras follow. Then the stones fly.”
The Clash of Narratives
Within minutes, mobile phones were raised. Cries of “Ei amader jamin! (This is our land)” echoed across the beel. A woman sat defiantly in front of a bulldozer, yelling at a young magistrate. A boy climbed onto a madrassa, waving a green flag and demanding the officials leave.
Soon, the atmosphere erupted into scuffles, and viral clips emerged. Edited footage circulated on WhatsApp and Twitter, transforming into headlines even before the eviction was complete.
Misrepresented Realities
By evening, news portals proclaimed: “Assam Police Fires on Poor Muslim Villagers,” “Children Rendered Homeless in Bulldozer State,” “Himanta’s Communal Land Grab.” None mentioned the reserve forest, the history of encroachment, or the years of eviction notices ignored. The elephant corridor continued to vanish under illegal settlements.
Yet, behind the headlines lies a frontline rarely acknowledged: the enforcers—forest officers, constables, magistrates—tasked with addressing what decades of governments have neglected. They face abuse, threats, and ridicule, often operating in a grey area where legality clashes with emotion, and nationalism is misconstrued as cruelty.
Understanding the Land and Its History
To grasp the fury surrounding Assam’s eviction drives, one must consider the land itself—who it belongs to, how it was appropriated, and why the state is finally taking action.
Beneath media narratives lies a geography of tension: floodplains turned into vote banks, wetlands transformed into settlements, and forest reserves becoming sites of demographic contests. The question transcends legality; it concerns whether India’s northeastern frontier will remain sovereign or succumb to a slow-motion invasion disguised as settlement.
The Paikan Reserve Forest: A Case Study
Take Paikan Reserve Forest, one of the most contested eviction sites. Official records classify this land under the Assam Forest Regulation of 1891, protecting it from cultivation or private habitation. Yet, over three decades, large areas have been cleared and constructed upon, evolving from temporary shelters to permanent structures.
What began as grazing land or seasonal cultivation morphed into permanent habitation, supported by local politicians and a vast underground economy of land brokers.
The Government's Claim and the Reality on the Ground
The Assam government asserts that since May 2021, it has cleared encroachments from over 39,000 acres, impacting countless families. In Hasila Beel, around 660 families were evicted in June 2025 alone, while over 1,080 families faced eviction in Paikan by mid-July.
Eviction notices, according to district authorities, were served multiple times, some dating back to 2018. Yet, most were ignored, leading to organized resistance. Settlers gathered in large groups, local activists rallied the media, and children were positioned at the forefront, daring the state to act.
Legal Framework vs. Emotional Public Perception
Despite the clear legal framework against encroachment, emotional narratives often overshadow legal realities. The sight of a crying woman or a bulldozer demolishing a mosque goes viral in seconds, while the explanation of years of warnings and illegality gets lost in the scroll.
In areas where Bengali is the dominant language, the narrative shifts. These are not merely impoverished villagers displaced by hardship; many are part of organized encroachment networks backed by political intermediaries and land mafia operatives.
The Burden on Enforcers
Thus, the eviction drives are not merely administrative actions; they are efforts to restore ecological balance and uphold sovereignty. Yet, the burden of these actions falls heavily on the lowest-ranking personnel—forest guards, police constables, and junior magistrates. They navigate a complex landscape of bulldozers, media scrutiny, and communal tensions.
The Human Side of the Bulldozer State
In the narrative of Assam's eviction drives, the most visible agents are often the least powerful. Forest guards in worn-out boots, police constables far from home, and young magistrates face the brunt of public backlash.
Their voices often go unheard, but they carry stories that diverge from the narratives of cruelty and communalism. Lakhan Rabha, a forest guard in Goalpara, has witnessed the violence of eviction days firsthand. “They call us devils,” he laments. “But no one sees how we bleed.”
The Complex Reality of Evictions
DSP Abdul Majid, a practicing Assamese Muslim, has led multiple eviction operations. He confronts communal accusations daily, often feeling the weight of his community’s expectations. “Every time we remove illegal structures, I am labeled a traitor,” he states. Yet, he emphasizes that they are merely enforcing the law.
The media often portrays enforcers as mere tools of the government, but their experiences reveal a different reality. They face mobs, petrol bombs, and threats while carrying out their duties.
The Teamwork Behind Operations
Despite the challenges, a sense of teamwork exists among the various departments involved in eviction operations. Officers coordinate meticulously, ensuring safety and efficiency in high-pressure situations. One officer noted, “Once the eviction notice is out, we move as one.”
The Emotional Toll
Evictions are undeniably traumatic, leaving lasting emotional scars. However, many enforcers express frustration at how their moral dilemmas are exploited by the media. “There is no joy in pulling down a roof,” one officer reflects. “But we must protect the land.”
Moments of Affirmation
Amid the chaos, moments of gratitude emerge. After a recent eviction, some villagers expressed their thanks to the officers, affirming their difficult role in a complex situation. These gestures sustain morale in a challenging environment.
Conclusion: The Faces of the Bulldozer State
These enforcers are not tyrants or zealots; they are the foot soldiers of legality, ecology, and survival. Operating in a landscape where every action is politicized, they navigate a world where evictions test a nation’s commitment to defending its land.
No comments:
Post a Comment