Overview

• Security forces opened fire in self-defense after settlers attacked with sticks and stones, killing one person and injuring several police and forest officers on July 17
• The July operation capped last week’s clearance of about 140 hectares in Paikan Reserve Forest, part of a campaign that has reclaimed over 1.19 lakh bighas of state and forest land since 2021
• Officials say the drive aims to restore ecological balance and counter what the chief minister calls organized demographic encroachment, and critics warn of inadequate notice, rehabilitation and rights safeguards
• District administrations have been instructed to remove evicted individuals’ names from local voter rolls to preserve Assamese constituencies
• Civil society groups and opposition leaders are demanding transparent rehabilitation schemes and independent inquiries into the use of force during eviction operations