As soon as the eviction drive conducted by the administration in Darrang district in Assam on September 23 turned violent, vested interests began demonising the state’s administration and police. Though the government had clarified that the police officers were forced to fire in retaliation after over 10,000 Muslim encroachers launched an attack on the police, the incident was exploited by the leftist media to spread the false narrative that the BJP government was conducting violence against Muslims in the state.
Amidst the blame game, an online YouTube channel named New India Junction approached the natives of Assam who divulged some lesser-known truths and dispelled the rumours being weaved around the clashes during the anti-encroachment drive in Assam’s Darrang district.
A resident of the district named Lakshedhar Nath told the channel that whatever happened on September 23 was nothing unusual and the people living in that particular area where the violence took place are known for engaging in killings and murders.
A false narrative is being peddled that whatever is happening in Assam is to throw the Muslims out of the state. This is absolutely untrue. Facts are being distorted to malign the state administration, said Nath, adding that in reality, it was a Muslim gentleman who had brought the matter of illegal encroachment on government land in Assam to the attention of the High Court. He was the one who had appealed to the High Court, after which the latter took suo motu cognizance of the issue and asked the State government to act against the encroachers.
Similarly, another resident identified as one Rabindra Kumar Nath divulged how since the year 1975, illegal Bangladeshi immigrants have encroached more than 77,000 acres of land along with a 5,000 years old Shiva temple and a cave. He said that as a result of this encroachment the indigenous people have been completely devastated. These Bangladeshi immigrants have not only shattered the inherent culture of the Assamese but also ruined the economic structure.
‘Congress government brought the Bangladeshis and settled them here for votes’: The caretaker of the 5000-year-old Dholpur Shiv Temple
Prasenjit, the caretaker of the 5000-year-old Dholpur Shiv Temple, in the Garukhuti area near the Sipajhar town in Darrang district in Assam, where the incident occurred on September 23, also told the channel that people of the Hindu community have been settled in and around the temple area for years. Ahead of the 1983 Assam elections, the Congress government brought the Bangladeshis and settled them here for votes, rued the Shiv Temple caretaker.
Likewise, the Dholpur Shiv Temple secretary also informed how in the year 1980, only 36 families had inhabited the area. At that time the temple land was around 500 bighas said Dharma Kant Nath, adding that in 1981, the Bangladeshi immigrants forcefully took away half of the temple land. Later, in 1983-84, they took away most of it, lamented Dharma Kant Nath.
It may be noted, that the Himanta Biswa Sarma government has been conducting an eviction drive of illegal settlers on land belonging to the government or other organisations like temples. When the eviction party reached the place inhabited by Bengali speaking Muslims on Thursday, September 23, thousands of people clashed with the police, attacking them with stones, machetes, pointed bamboo sticks etc.
As the mob could not be dispersed even by using tear gas shells, and several policemen were injured in the attack, the police opened fire on the attackers.
According to the administration, the people living in the area were served notices to vacate the encroached land well in advance, and when they didn’t comply with the notices, the eviction drive was conducted.
Hours after an eviction drive in the Darrang district of Assam turned violent, video footage of frenzied illegal encroachers had surfaced on social media.
‘Peaceful eviction drive was agreed upon, who instigated?’: Assam CM on violence in Darrang
Clearing his government’s stance on the violence in Darrang, Assam, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had the next day addressed the media. He said that the eviction drive was initiated with an agreed principle that landless will be provided 2 acres each as per land. “Peaceful drive was agreed upon, then who instigated the mob of illegal encroachers,” questioned the CM.
Calling eviction drive “urgent”, the Himanta Biswa Sarma said it was not done overnight and discussions were on for 4 months. “Congress delegation had met me and agreed on land allotment to landless. 27,000 acres of land has to be productively used. There was a temple, which was also encroached upon,” Biswa Sarma added.
“In Assam, no one trespasses on temple lands. These are self-restraining things that the people of Assam honour”, said the CM, asserting that one cannot demean the entire state based on a 30-second video. One needs to understand what had preceded and what followed before drawing any conclusion, told the CM to the media.
