The rich, the poor and the law

Anwara Begum, 57, picked up one brick after another from the rubble that was her house near Silsako Beel, a wetland in the eastern part of Guwahati, Assam. Anwara's house, along with at least 900 houses, were demolished by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority over the last two years. But the eviction drive was carried out only in the area housing the poor. The properties owned by the wife of a member of Parliament and a powerful businessman remain untouched. The Silsako eviction drive raises questions about fairness, compensation, and the impact of such demolitions on indigenous communities.

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