You are an everyday Assamese villager, the kind who have spent generations tending to the same paddy fields your grandparents did, watching the Brahmaputra river swell and recede like an old friend. But one morning, you step out and see strangers — folks who crossed over illegally from Bangladesh — building homes right on your land, turning your wetlands into their backyards. It’s heartbreaking. This isn’t some made-up tale; it’s the painful truth for so many families in Assam, caught in a web of systematic infiltration that has been chipping away at our home since the days right after India gained freedom.
Let me lay it out with the cold, hard numbers, because they paint a picture that words alone can’t.
Assam Infitration: The Numbers Are Telling
Way back in the 1930s and 1940s, under British rule and then amid the Partition mess, waves of undocumented Bengali Muslims started flooding into Assam’s lush valleys. The 1951 Census showed Muslims making up about 25% of the population here, but by 2011, that number had jumped to over 34%. Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma has been sounding the alarm, saying it might climb to 40% by 2041 if we don’t act, thanks to sneaky border crossings and faster population growth.
And remember the 1971 war that birthed Bangladesh? Millions came as refugees, but tonnes — hundreds of thousands — stayed put, squatting on public lands, thick forests, and even our holy spots.
The scale of this land theft? It’s mind-boggling. These illegal settlers gobbled up as much as 167 square kilometres — that’s larger than the city of Chandigarh!
In our cherished Vaishnavite Satras, those spiritual hubs tied to Assamese Hindu roots, they have encroached on 13,000 bighas, roughly 6,200 acres, which is double the size of Dispur, our capital. It’s no accident; patterns show people travelling from 400 km away to settle in Hindu-majority areas, shifting the balance on purpose. Take Goalpara’s Hasila Beel: almost 495 acres of precious wetland, a haven for birds and local fishermen, overrun for years, sparking deadly clashes between people and elephants.
Feel the sting? Our indigenous folks — the Bodos, the Assamese Hindus — have watched their farms dwindle, sacred places tarnished, and resources stretched thin. In places like Barpeta, over 9,000 bighas of Satra land got taken, dimming the light of legends like Srimanta Sankardev, who taught us harmony. This isn’t just encroachment; it’s like a quiet war, with bogus IDs helping these infiltrators blend in, grab votes, and erode what makes Assam, Assam.
Is There Any Hope?
All is not lost, however. Authorities have started to crack down on the squatters, evicting them to give back what is ours. In the past four years, 25,000 acres have been reclaimed, breathing life back into forests, lakes, and fields. Since 2024, they have freed up the 167 sq km, including the full restoration of Hasila Beel and Urpad Beel, now protected as reserve forests.
In recent months, the Assam Police and the Border Security Force have pushed back over 350 Bangladeshi illegals, with 8 more just days ago on July 10. Across the 13,000 bighas in Satras, spots like Sri Sri Madhabdev Kalakshetra are coming up. Drives are being carried out.
This fight isn’t about hate; it’s about fairness and protecting home. Those evicted get proper warnings and chances, but the line is drawn: Assam is for its true sons and daughters. We need an Assam free of infiltrators, borders locked tight, and legacy intact for our children.
Author Sashanka Chakraborty is an independent social media analyst.
[Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NewsX.]
