Capturing campaign in the villages of Assam: Villagers’ allegation – We have burnt everything, are now sleeping in the field with children

Local administration claims – 77 thousand bighas of government land is illegally occupied.

Silence prevailed in the village after violent clashes broke out during the state government’s eviction drive in Dholpur village of Darrang district of Assam. Fearing the police administration, the people of the village are camping with their children, elderly and women under a temporary roof made of aluminum sheets on the banks of the Suta river. Hundreds of houses demolished and burnt as soon as one enters Dholpur village, number 3 in the area between No and Suta river, which is about 14 km inside Sipajhar town.

Some people are taking the left over goods through the river to another place. But most of the homeless people are living with their children and elderly people in the fields under the open sky. The district administration claims that people occupy 77 thousand bighas of government land under Sipajhar tehsil of Darang. But the villagers say that they have settled in this variable area (river bank) for about 40-50 years. During the anti-encroachment drive on 23 September, there was a violent clash between the police-administration and the local people.

The sound of crying was coming from the huts in the village on the banks of the Suta river. The family of Moinul Haq (28), who died of a police bullet, lives here. The video of a cameraman jumping on Moinul was the subject of much discussion. Moinul’s mother Moimona Begum cries that I want my son. Very badly done to my son. Mesran Begum, 38, of number 3 village says that last night we slept in the field with the children. I don’t know what to do next. We vote.

We all have names in NRC. Now all our papers have been burnt. In the burnt houses in Dholpur village, some women were searching for the leftovers of the house outside their ruined houses. On the other hand, Assam Pradesh Congress President Bhupen Bora, who visited the village, says that we cannot give license to the state government to kill innocent people.

The Chief Minister of Assam is creating an atmosphere of fear. At the same time, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that we cannot relax the occupation of government land. Tomorrow someone will capture the Kamakhya temple, then I will not be able to do anything, it is not a thing to believe. Chief Minister Sarma has started Project Gorukhuti to remove the occupation from the government land of Char area.

We of Assam, state government should check our citizenship: Rural

Villagers allege that 3 mosques and a madrasa were also demolished. Amar Ali of Dholpur village, number two, says that Namaz was offered in the demolished mosque near our house. Mohammad Tayet of village number two says – People have been settled on this government land for 60-70 years. The government did nothing for so long. If the government wants, we are ready to give up the land. We are from Assam. The government should get our citizenship documents checked.