Security forces have been heavily deployed in and around Uriamghat in Assam’s Golaghat district as authorities prepare to launch a major eviction drive in the Rengma Reserve Forest on Tuesday, July 29. The operation, aimed at clearing alleged encroachers from the protected forest, has turned the Assam-Nagaland border stretch into a virtual fortress.
According to media reports, the eviction is being carried out under directives from the Assam government, with more than 700 personnel from the state police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the Forest Department stationed across the affected region. Bulldozers, excavators, and other heavy machinery have been mobilised, reflecting the scale of the impending clearance.
Assam officials claim that nearly 70% of the encroachers have already vacated voluntarily. However, the situation remains tense, with fears of resistance from those who remain.
The Rengma Reserve Forest lies within the Disturbed Area Belt (DAB), a disputed buffer zone between Assam and Nagaland. While Assam maintains the forest is under its jurisdiction and alleges that it has been “destroyed by illegal migrants and occupied by suspected nationals,” sources informed that the Rengma Naga community claim traditional ownership of the land and have vowed to resist the eviction.
Reliable sources informed MT that Rengma Nagas living in the area consider the forest part of their ancestral land and do not intend to part with it.
Adding to the volatility, unconfirmed but credible reports suggest that cadres of NSCN factions are preparing to resist the eviction drive. While the specific faction remains unclear, the possibility of armed confrontation has raised fears of escalation along the already sensitive inter-state border.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who visited Uriamghat on July 25, expressed confidence that the eviction would proceed peacefully.
If successful, the operation is expected to clear approximately 11,000 bighas of forest land, making it one of the largest eviction exercises in Assam’s ongoing land protection campaign.
However, with increased troop presence, overlapping land claims, and the possibility of armed resistance, tensions remain high.
In light of the situation, reliable sources have advised that authorities issue travel advisories for civilians to avoid routes passing through Assam’s Jorhat and Golaghat districts for the time being.
