The operation is part of Assam’s ongoing campaign to reclaim forest land, but critics question the lack of rehabilitation for displaced families.
By PC Bureau
July 17, 2025 —A government-led eviction drive in the Paikan Reserve Forest under the Krishnai Range in Assam’s Goalpara district turned deadly on Thursday, as police firing during a confrontation with local residents left one man dead and another injured. The incident has sparked renewed concerns over the handling of land disputes and forced evictions in the state.
The operation, jointly carried out by the Assam Police and Forest Department, was aimed at clearing over 140 hectares of encroached land inside the ecologically protected Paikan Reserve Forest, which spans approximately 711 hectares.
Officials said the land had been illegally occupied by settlers in the villages of Bidyapara and Betbari, where residents have been living for years without legal land titles. According to the forest department, the eviction was crucial to preserving the biodiversity and ecological balance of the forest, which has come under increasing pressure due to expanding human settlement.
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Prior to Thursday’s drive, authorities claimed they had conducted multiple rounds of public announcements and patrols, urging the encroachers to leave voluntarily.
Tensions flared when officials, supported by security personnel, arrived to clear the land. According to eye-witnesses and preliminary police reports, a group of local residents attempted to block the operation by pelting stones and attacking a government excavator that was being used to demolish structures.
Police reportedly responded with warning shots, but the situation escalated further. In what they describe as an act of self-defence, security forces opened fire on the protesters, resulting in the death of Shakuar Hussain, a resident of Bidyapara. Another individual, Kutubuddin Sheikh, sustained bullet injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital.
Assam’s Goalpara erupts over eviction drive
Clash between locals and forest department in Paikan turns deadly
One resident Sakowar Hussain killed, another Kuchumuddin Sheikh critically injured. Forest dpt claims they were forced to fire in self-defense to protect… pic.twitter.com/nEgV7Ks8YX
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) July 17, 2025
There were also unconfirmed reports of injuries among security personnel, but officials have not issued detailed accounts of the extent of their injuries.
The incident has led to widespread tension in the Krishnai area, with locals accusing the police of using excessive force. Activists and opposition parties are now demanding a judicial inquiry into the firing and questioning the lack of rehabilitation plans for displaced families.
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Despite the tragedy, forest officials reiterated the importance of the eviction. “The forest is part of a protected reserve under the Assam Forest Act. Human encroachment here poses a grave environmental threat,” one senior official said, requesting anonymity.
Local sources say many families in the region are migrant settlers or landless citizens who have lived in the area for decades, surviving without access to formal land deeds or resettlement schemes.
The incident in Goalpara is the latest in a series of controversial eviction drives across Assam, a state that has seen increasing pressure on land resources due to population growth, migration, and environmental degradation.
In recent years, the Assam government has been under criticism for conducting evictions without ensuring rehabilitation or compensation, particularly in areas where settlers claim to have lived for generations. While the state asserts the legal sanctity of forest lands, human rights groups have repeatedly highlighted the humanitarian cost of such evictions.
The state government has yet to issue a formal statement on whether a judicial or magisterial probe will be launched into Thursday’s firing.
