Guwahati, July 5: Assam BJP President and MP Dilip Saikia on Saturday asserted that the state’s ongoing eviction drive will continue “relentlessly” to safeguard the land, heritage, and identity of indigenous communities.
Speaking at a press conference in Guwahati, Saikia said Assam’s spiritual and cultural institutions — the Sattras — are under grave threat, with over 922 Sattras currently encroached upon.
He launched a scathing attack on the Congress, blaming the party for decades of political appeasement. “For 69 years after independence, Congress ruled Assam but failed to protect the rights of indigenous people. Instead, they built their vote bank by encouraging illegal infiltrators,” Saikia alleged.
Citing data, he claimed that 7,137 bighas of Sattra land in Barpeta, 2,757.39 bighas in Bajali, 2,583.79 bighas in Nagaon, and 896.76 bighas in Lakhimpur are currently under encroachment.
Taking aim at the Congress for opposing eviction initiatives, Saikia recalled the semi-nude protest led by former APCC president Bhupen Bora against the Garukhuti project, which he described as “a symbol of Assam’s agrarian revival.”
Saikia also questioned the demographic changes in Dhubri, alleging a sharp decline in the Hindu population. “As per Census 2001, there were 5 lakh Hindus in Dhubri. By 2011, the number fell to 3.5 lakh. Where did 1.5 lakh Hindus go?” he asked, demanding answers from opposition leader Debabrata Saikia.
He further challenged Congress leaders Gaurav Gogoi and Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain to publicly ask illegal encroachers to vacate Sattra lands. “If they don’t, it proves their allegiance to a single community over the people of Assam,” he said.
Highlighting similar demographic shifts in Lakhima village of Goalpara district, Saikia claimed that Rabha and Garo families have vanished due to encroachment. “Congress must answer: why have indigenous communities been driven out of their ancestral lands?” he questioned.
Saikia also praised the government’s Mission Bhumiputra, which aims to provide land pattas to indigenous people while reclaiming encroached Sattra land.
“The BJP government will not back down. Our mission is clear — to restore the spiritual sanctity of Assam and secure land rights for its rightful heirs,” Saikia asserted.
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