Guwahati, July 17: One person died and several others, including forest and security personnel, were injured after clashes broke out between evictees and forest officials during an eviction drive at Bidyapar in the Krishnai range of the Paikan Reserved Forest in Goalpara district on Thursday morning.
The deceased has been identified as Shaquar Hussain, a 22-year-old local resident. At least three evictees, one police personnel, and a few forest guards also sustained serious injuries after evictees clashed with the security forces and allegedly attempted to damage excavators.
Another seriously injured youth, Kusumuddin Sheikh, was rushed to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for treatment.
Tensions escalated on Thursday morning when police personnel and Forest Department officials arrived to clear about 140 bighas of forest land allegedly encroached upon by illegal settlers.
Initially, the drive was peaceful, but tensions flared after evictees reportedly began pelting stones and resisting the operation by trying to damage excavators.
To bring the situation under control, police fired shots in the air. Locals suspect that Hussain may have been hit by one of the bullets.
“The police followed due protocol. When attacked with stones, they had to respond. Reports suggest that not all who joined the protest were local residents—some came from neighbouring areas whose lands aren’t even part of this eviction. Many of our personnel have sustained injuries,” said Prodip Timung, Deputy Commissioner of Goalpara.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has issued a stern warning, stating that anyone attacking police personnel will face legal consequences.
“Once the eviction is completed, we plan to undertake afforestation in the cleared areas. Anyone attacking police personnel will face legal action. Our aim in Paikan is to reclaim forest land and restore it to its natural state,” the Chief Minister said.
The eviction drive in Paikan began on July 12 and aims to clear forest encroachments involving around 2,000 families.
