Guwahati: The Supreme Court on Friday granted an interim stay on the ongoing eviction and demolition drive in Uriamghat and nearby villages in Assam’s Golaghat district, offering significant relief to hundreds of families facing imminent displacement.
A bench passed the order while hearing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) that challenged the Gauhati High Court’s refusal to grant protection to local residents.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The petitioners contended that many of the affected families had been residing in the area for over 70 years and held official documentation acknowledging their presence.
The legal team argued that the eviction operation violated multiple legal safeguards, including provisions of the Assam Forest Regulation, 1891, the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, and constitutional protections requiring rehabilitation and a proper settlement inquiry prior to any displacement.
The petition was argued by Senior Advocates Chander Uday Singh and Rauf Rahim, with Advocate-on-Record Adeel Ahmed, assisted by Abdur Razzaq.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The legal development follows a large-scale eviction drive launched on July 29, 2025, in the Rengma Reserve Forest within Golaghat district. The Assam government, in a bid to reclaim over 11,000 bighas of forest land, deployed 700–800 personnel, including CRPF forces, state police, and forest officials, alongside heavy machinery like bulldozers and excavators.
Authorities described the drive as the state’s largest forest eviction operation to date, aimed at restoring ecological balance and curbing illegal encroachments in protected forest zones.
However, the operation drew criticism over the manner in which it displaced residents.
Reports indicate that over 70% of the evicted families, predominantly from Muslim communities with a “Miya” identity, left the area voluntarily, many relocating to ancestral homes in Nagaon and Morigaon districts.
This mass movement has sparked concerns regarding future land disputes and unauthorised resettlements in those regions.
By granting interim relief, the Supreme Court has brought a temporary pause to the operation, while it awaits formal responses from the state and prepares for further hearings on the legality of the eviction.