Gauhati High Court seeks clarity on rehab for evicted people in Assam

The Gauhati High Court has requested clarification from the Assam government regarding the rehabilitation and compensation for individuals displaced during an eviction drive in September 2024. The Kamrup Metropolitan district authorities carried out the eviction at Kachutoli in Sonapur, approximately 20 kilometers east of Guwahati, to clear 100 bighas of tribal land designated for notification.

The displaced individuals were predominantly Bengali Muslim migrants. On September 7, Justice Devashis Barua issued notices to various government departments, requesting their positions on the petition for rehabilitation and compensation submitted by 76 petitioners through affidavits by October 6. These petitioners represent around 650 families, comprising approximately 2,000 people, who were evicted between September 23 and 25, 2024.

Their advocate, Zunaid Khalid, informed the court that these families had been residing on privately owned patta land (land with officially recorded ownership) after being "evicted from their occupation" without receiving any compensation or rehabilitation. The eviction at Kachutoli commenced on September 9, 2024. The displaced villagers reoccupied the land three days later, leading to heightened tensions.

The authorities resumed the demolition initiative. The villagers protested, resulting in the death of two individuals—Haider Ali and Jubahir Ali—following police firing, while 33 others, comprising government and police officials, sustained injuries. The final eviction drive was executed by the local administration on September 25.