By Mahibul Hoque
One 19-year-old Muslim youth was killed in police firing and several others were injured, including at least two police personnel, at Vidyapara locality of Krishnai area in Goalpara district on Thursday, 17 July, when forest officials’ effort to move out the evicted families from the area turned violent.
The deceased has been identified as Sakuwar Hussain (19), while 27-year-old Kasimuddin Ali and Amir Hamza (38) are undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital after sustaining critical bullet injuries.
The incident happened as personnel from the forest department, along with a bulldozer, went to dig a crater to allegedly cut off a link road to the outer area and were removing the evicted families who had made temporary tarpaulin shelters at the place, locals said.
Jahidul Islam (18), Hasinur Ali (20), Abdul Rahim (42), Saiful Ali, and Akkas Ali also sustained minor injuries in the clash with security personnel.
Earlier, on 12 July, these families were evicted from Ashudubi area in Paikan Reserve Forest.
The state government had evicted 1,080 families from 140 hectares of forest land. “These then took shelter in Vidyapara, Betbari area after the eviction in makeshift camps. But the district forest officials were threatening them to remove their structures. Where will they go if they are not given enough time to relocate?” said Animul Islam, assistant general secretary of All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU).
“What happened today is that forest officer Jagadish Barman, along with a huge number of security personnel, started to cut off the only road that connects the place to National Highway 117, from where they can access the market area,” he said. According to the student leader, the people were staying in the camp till they were relocated to collect whatever remains from the ruins of their houses.
“They were collecting rods, tin sheets, whatever they could to sell as scrap to earn some money. But without giving any time or respite, the forest officials tried to choke the place by cutting the road. That is when people got angry,” Islam said.
Student leaders also blamed the security officials for not showing restraint in controlling the agitated evicted families. “They neither used tear gas nor rubber bullets but used live ammunition, which killed and critically injured the people,” Islam accused the district administration.
Terming the police firing a conspiracy, Akhil Gogoi’s Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti’s Goalpara president Aziz Ahmed said the death of Sakuwar was a result of a cold-blooded move by the forest officials. He accused range forest officer Barman, saying, “He told the people that he would get them killed by using his own money if needed.”
“The whole protest went without any violence. People took shelter here till they find another place to relocate. In such a situation, if they had not been harassed, how could the situation turn violent? This is a clear conspiracy,” Aziz said.
As the day went on, a resident of nearby Chokudhuwa village said on condition of anonymity that police were detaining people who were not even evicted. “We are staying indoors. Police are picking up whosoever goes out on the road,” said the villager, who lives on registered land.
While Jagadish Barman could not be contacted for comments, Goalpara district officials were unavailable to confirm the present situation in the district.
The Assam government has evicted more than 3,500 families in five eviction drives across four districts during June and July 2025. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that his government has freed around 160 square kilometers of area, affecting around 50,000 people since he took charge of office.
(Published in Maktoob Media)
