On these recent evictions, eminent advocate Santanu Borthakur said: “If it is a forest land, then whosoever stays there for whatever longer period, it does not give them legal rights to settle there permanently.” However, targeting only one community, as seen in the recent cases in Golaghat is “absolutely discriminatory”, he added.”The CM’s recent comment that no eviction will take place against people from other communities is anti-Constitution and not permitted by law,” Borthakur said.In Rengma, 1,500 Muslim families were evicted.The remaining families are from Bodo, Nepali, Manipuri and other communities, who have certificates from the Forest Rights Committee (FRC).According to Kaustubh Deka, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Dibrugarh University, the eviction drive is a significant and sensitive moment for the state, and the whole episode highlights the critical bearing of the state’s complex socio-political history.”The government must maintain a fair balance between three aspects.One, the allegation that genuine Indian citizens are being selectively targeted, needs to be addressed in all earnestness.Two, the rights given to people under progressive environmental legislations such as ‘Forest Rights Act’ need to be respected,” he added.Also, care should be taken that the ongoing process doesn’t trigger complications in Assam’s already volatile border dispute scenario with many of its neighbouring states, Deka said.Talking about alleged encroachments in inter-state border areas in Rengma, advocate Borthakur said that normally in border areas, the government settles people in the buffer zones so that no encroachment takes place from the opposite side.”We can see such habitation in all border areas.Usually minorities, Gorkha and Bihari people, are settled in such locations,” he added.Barua too supported his claim and said that in all the border areas with neighbouring states, usually people or communities originally from outside are settled.”The indigenous people usually do not live there.People from communities like Adivasis, Gorkhas and minorities live in such areas,” he added.The reserve forests witnessing recent evictions are along Assam-Nagaland border, where people from the neighbouring state had allegedly attempted to occupy land.The evicted people claimed that their previous generation was settled in the forest by the Golap Borbora government in 1978-79 and the AGP government, which came to power in 1985.Borthakur said, “Without considering the historical background, carrying out an eviction is not appropriate. Legally, the government has the power, but the manner in which that power was exercised is not acceptable. It is inhuman and arbitrary.” He also stressed that evicting people without rehabilitation is wrong.Echoing similar sentiments, Deka said, “This is against all democratic norms and practices. Utterly inhumane.” Even the Supreme Court judgement says that even pavement dwellers can not be evicted without rehabilitation.
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