Assam govt carries out eviction to clear Sattra land of ‘encroachers’

At least 37 families were Saturday evicted from Assam’s Barpeta district as part of a government drive to clear land belonging to the Barpeta Sattra, a 16th-century Vaishnavite monastery, allegedly from “encroachers”, authorities said. The drive came days after controversy erupted over Congress legislator Sherman Ali Ahmed’s allegedly “instigating” comments during a visit to the area, which falls under his constituency Baghbor.

Following the eviction, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said his government was committed to freeing up encroached Sattra lands across Assam. “Despite provocative and highly communal statements by an MLA, we managed to evict 37 families & cleared 40 bighas of land belonging to the revered Barpeta Satra from Mandia mouza under Baghbor Police Stn. We are committed to clearing any encroached Satra lands elsewhere in Assam,” he tweeted.

Sattras are influential monastic institutions created as part of the 16th century neo-Vaishnavite reformist movement started by Vaishnavite saint-reformer Srimanta Sankaradeva. Over the years, there have been allegations of “encroachment” and “land grabbing” of Sattra land by suspected immigrant populations in the surrounding areas — particularly highlighted by the BJP government in Assam over the last few years.

In the case of the Barpeta Sattra, it is alleged that almost 40 bighas belonging to the institution were encroached by the Bengali Muslim population. “The area, which is about 6-7 km from the Sattra, historically belonged to it. The Sattradhikar (head) has highlighted the issue and also written an application to the government for the land to be cleared,” said Kusum Mahanta, Secretary of Assam Sattra Mahasabha, an umbrella organisation of all Sattras in the state. The organisation alleges that thousands of bighas of Sattra land have been encroached across Assam.

On Saturday, the district administration, aided by the police, conducted the eviction drive in Bardalani village under the Mandia revenue circle. “The drive was peaceful and the land under encroachment was cleared, without any resistance from the people,” said Barpeta SP Amitabh Sinha.

Barpeta Deputy Commissioner Tej Pratap Bhusal said the cleared land was handed over to the Sattra’s managing committee. “All Barpeta Sattra land has been more or less cleared now,” he said.

The evicted families have been in the area for more than ten years, said Rejaul Karim Sarkar, President, All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU). “They are from the Baghbor area and were compelled to move here after being displaced by floods and erosion,” he said, adding that some of the families had moved in 2020 itself, after getting a notice from the government. “The others could not move because they simply had no choice. They are extremely poor farmers,” he said.

Sarkar alleged that those who were evicted on Friday have now taken refuge under tin sheet roofs in a government Khas land nearby, close to a pond. “They are in a terrible condition, without basic amenities. The fact that it has been raining has made matters worse for them,” said Sarkar, who visited the spot on Saturday. He added that the families “do not want to intentionally encroach Sattra land” but had moved because “they were helpless.”

DC Bhusal said the families were given notices three times in the last month. “They have now made their own arrangements and have taken shelter in nearby areas,” he said, adding that he was not sure exactly where they were.

Meanwhile, an FIR was lodged by the Barpeta district police on Friday against Congress’s Sherman Ali Ahmed on the basis of a complaint filed by the Management Committee of Barpeta Sattra. “The complaint… said that Ahmed had made threatening comments,” SP Sinha said.

In a video clip, Ahmed, who visited the village on Friday, was purportedly heard saying: “Nobody could evict you till I am alive. Almighty Allah will protect you.” He also said that the BJP would rule the state for just five years, and after that those evicted can reclaim their lands. He has also been accused of dismantling pillars erected by the administration to demarcate the “encroached area”.

Following this, bodies like the Hindu Yuba Chattra Parishad demanded that Ahmed be arrested, while the Congress has distanced itself from its legislator’s remarks. Congress Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, in a letter to the Barpeta Sattradhikar Basistha Dev Sarma, said neither he nor his party supported Ahmed’s actions.

This is not the first time that Ahmed has faced police action over his remarks. Last year, he was arrested for his controversial comments following the eviction drive in Sipajhar area of Assam’s Darrang district. Following that, the Congress had suspended Ahmed.