An eviction drive aimed at reclaiming over 1,000 bighas of encroached forest land in the Paikan Reserve Forest of Assam’s Goalpara district has resulted in one death, several injuries—including among police personnel—and the displacement of hundreds of families. The administration reported that approximately 2,000 families, many of whom are Bengali-speaking Muslims from the Barpeta, Dhubri, and South Salmara-Mankachar districts, had been living in the forest area without valid land documents.
The first eviction was carried out on 12 July 2025, during which over 1,080 families were removed and 140 hectares of land were cleared. In the days that followed, many evictees reportedly returned and began to rebuild their homes, prompting a second eviction on 17 July. In one instance, a man attempted to kill himself during the demolition but was saved by a relative.
According to officials, on 17 July 2025, a mob attacked the eviction team with stones and bamboo poles. Police first fired warning shots and then shot directly at the crowd when it became more violent. One man was killed in the shooting, and several others—including at least two civilians and a few police officers—were injured.
Residents claim the land was not always classified as a reserve forest. One affected resident said, “These lands were never part of the Paikan Reserve Forest until the government suddenly included them last year. This was a revenue village, not forest land. The government reclassified it as a reserve forest solely to evict us.”
Another resident questioned, “How can nearly 2,000 families find shelter in such a short time? At the very least, the government should have provided us with rehabilitation before demolishing our homes.”
There are signs of long-term habitation in the area, like voter ID cards and schools, which have led to challenges against the forest classification. AIUDF MLA Hafiz Rafikul Islam, who, along with seven other party MLAs, staged a demonstration outside the eviction site, questioned, “These villages have been included in the Assam NRC of 1951. Are we to believe that all these are on forest land?”
The Goalpara Divisional Forest Officer, Tejas Muruswamy, stated that the evictions were necessary to address the high human-elephant conflict in the area, which is the highest in the country. “Clearing encroached areas is essential to revive the forest as an elephant habitat. Our target is to clear around 790 to 800 hectares now, with plans to eventually clear another 2,000 hectares. We plan to plant bamboo trees to support the elephants,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner Khanindra Choudhury added that the eviction was conducted per a 2022 Gauhati High Court directive. “This area was declared a reserve forest back in 1982 and was once covered with sal trees. We served eviction notices well in advance. Around 80 families left voluntarily, but encroachment remained widespread,” he said.
Following the violence, security has been tightened in the region. In a press conference on 18 July 2025, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma declared that ten people connected to the incident had been arrested.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for rehabilitation
Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
Arrest
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
10
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
Don't Know
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Residential area
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
No
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Forced evictions/dispossession of land
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Killing
Displacement
Physical attack
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
According to officials, a mob attacked the eviction team with stones and bamboo poles. Police first fired warning shots and then shot directly at the crowd when it became more violent. One man was killed in the shooting, and several others—including at least two civilians and few police officers—were injured.
Date of Violation
July 11, 2025
Location of Violation
Paikan Reserve Forest
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Assam Forest Department; Assam Police; District Administration of Goalpara
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
What was the action taken by the police?
Arrest
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
10
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
Don't Know
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Sarup is a researcher and doctoral student in Political Science at the North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong. His research interests lie in the area of ethnic and land conflicts, political ecology and development and urban spaces of Northeast India. He has a Masters’ degree in Development Studies from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. He has previously done research/internships with NABARD, Oxford Microfinance Initiative (renamed Oxford Development Consultancy) and CSDS (Lokniti Programme).
