Assam's Rengma Forest Eviction: A Storm of Migration, Land, and Identity

In a bold and contentious initiative, the Assam government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswas Sarma is gearing up for a large-scale eviction drive in Golaghat’s Rengma Reserve Forest, located along the Assam-Nagaland border. This operation aims to free around 10,000 bighas, roughly 3,300 acres, of forestland allegedly encroached upon by illegal settlers. The initiative is part of the state’s broader crackdown on illicit land occupation by suspected illegal migrants.

This drive will directly impact approximately 2.000 families who, as per officials, have converted the forest terrain into betel nut plantations linked with the clandestine betel syndicates or “betel mafia.” As the anticipation of eviction spreads, several Bengali-speaking Muslims, many labelled as undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh, have begun fleeing the area in search of refuge in other parts of Assam.

To execute the mission, a formidable contingent of nearly 800 personnel from the state police, Forest Department, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been deployed in and around the forest zone. Alongside, heavy-duty earthmovers such as bulldozers and excavators have been mobilised for the demolitions.

Preceding this operation were detailed were detailed topographical surveys across 30 villages within the Rengma Reserve, situated under Sarupathar subdivision. Government contends that the encroachers predominantly hail from Muslim-dominated districts like Nagaon, Morigaon, Sonitpur, and regions such as Cachar, Dhubri, Barpeta, and Hojai. Allegedly, some migrants have also crossed over from West Bengal and Bihar.

Himanta Biswa Sarma recently claimed that 70% of the identified settlers have already vacated the land voluntarily. He reaffirmed the state’s mission to reclaim and rehabilitate vast tracts of forest and government-owned land. According to Sarma, over the past four years, about 1.29 lakh bighas, more than 42,500 acres, have been reclaimed, although over 29 lakh bighas remain under encroachment.

In a ripple effect, the Nagaland government has issued a cautionary alert to its border districts to monitor any population spillover triggered by the evictions. Meanwhile, the Naga political faction NSCN (Niki) described the drive as a calculated move to seize traditional Naga land. They criticised the so-called “Disturbed Area Belt” as a colonial relic, artificially imposed by British administrators without consulting local communities.

The NSCN/GPRN (Niki) further alleged that successive governments in Assam have methodically encouraged the influx of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants into disputed zones as a form of demographic manipulation and covert territorial expansion—a charge that adds layers of socio-political complexity to an already sensitive issue.