On 28th December (Sunday), the district administration in Assam’s Biswanath district conducted an eviction campaign to clear over 87 acres of grazing land. The operation was carried out peacefully, according to an official. Biswanath Police also apprehended three leaders of the All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AMSU) on the night of 27th December.
They are AMSU Biswanath unit president Hussain Sikdaar, assistant general secretary Fakir Ali and another Behali leader. According to police sources, the arrests were made on suspicion that they were trying to incite hostility and tension at the location of the eviction.
On the other hand, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to social media to laud the eviction action and also shared a video of the same. “Nothing beats the satisfaction of freeing up lands from encroachers who seek to destroy Assam’s culture and demography. Happy Holidays to all, except these encroachers from whom we freed 87 acres of land in Biswanath,” he wrote.
Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday? ❌
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) December 30, 2025
Nothing beats the satisfaction of freeing up lands from encroachers who seek to destroy Assam's culture and demography ✅
Happy Holidays to all, except these encroachers from whom we freed 87 acres of land in Biswanath. pic.twitter.com/vznkt44pnu
According to Lakhinandan Saharia, the district commissioner for Biswanath, the drive started in Baghmari in the Behali Assembly constituency at around seven in the morning. The action was directed at the encroachments on about 265 bighas, or 87.45 acres, of Village Grazing Reserve land, which is intended for animal grazing. The administration informed that 435 households that were illegally occupying the land received eviction warnings in August.
However, after 68 families filed a challenge to the notices with the Gauhati High Court, the procedure was temporarily put on hold. According to Saharia, the remaining 367 families were evicted after the latest drive. More than 17 bulldozers and about 20 excavators were used in the operation alongside a massive police deployment. Furthermore, strict security measures were put in place to guard against any unfavourable events. The exercise ended without any major disruptions, according to officials.
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