Evicted from government land, over 5,000 Muslims in Assam termed ‘illegal settlers’ become homeless
Nearly 5,000 people including children and elderly persons have been forced to live under the open sky in Assam’s Darrang district since they were evicted from government land by the local administration on Monday.
….Hundreds of policemen armed with excavators and riot control vehicles reached the spot on Monday following which most residents vacated their houses fearing demolition. BJP’s Mangaldoi MP and two other MLAs – Mrinal Hazarika and Padma Hazarika – supervised the eviction drive.
“…. The situation on the ground is heartwrenching. How can a democratically elected government be so inhuman and insensitive to the plight of such poor and landless people?” Ainuddin Ahmed, advisor of All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) told DH on Tuesday. Two mosques and a Madrassa were also demolished during the drive, Ahmed said…. Ahmed said the evicted persons are Indian citizens and are not “illegal migrants” from Bangladesh as is being claimed by the MLAs and leaders of the ruling BJP….
