Eviction Without Rehabilitation at Silsako is Inhumane: Assam Trinamool Congress

On Monday, a delegation of Assam's Trinamool Congress visited the eviction site in Silsako , where women took to the streets to protest half-naked against the eviction drive carried out by the BJP government.

A delegation led by Tapan Kalita, the president of Assam Trinamool Congress's Kamrup Metro District Committee, reached the eviction site and expressed solidarity with the displaced people.

Assam Trinamool Congress leader Tapan Kalita opposed the cancellation of the Silsako Bill and stated that the administration and government are prioritising eviction over rehabilitation.

“It is unacceptable that while the government has been providing electricity to various establishments and merchant groups in the Silsako region by allowing them to construct buildings, the administration is now targeting the houses of the general public,” said Tapan Kalita.

Kalita also claimed that though the administration has announced compensation for the displaced from five to ten lakhs. However, there has been no discussion on how or when the people will get compensated. Neither has any information been shared on the rehabilitation of the displaced either, he alleged.

It may be mentioned that there has been significant discussion and resentment regarding the eviction drive conducted by the administration since 2022 in connection with clearing illegal occupations of Guwahati's Silsako reservoir to beautify Guwahati.

Meanwhile, to reclaim 120 bighas of land starting September 1, the police administration has initiated an eviction drive in Silsako.

At the beginning of this eviction drive, local women took the extreme step of protesting by removing their clothing. While residents have been staging daily sit-ins to prevent the police administration, a group of women were compelled to protest semi-nude to prevent the police administration from carrying out the eviction today.

“Even though the inhumane act failed to move the hearts of the police administration, it deeply affected the general public, as bulldozers demolished their homes. While it is true that bulldozers are demolishing the houses of the masses, the institutions of the merchant community, political figures like Ajmal, and other institutions remain unaffected,” Tapan Kalita added further.

Tapan Kalita, the president of Kamrup TMC, Rekha Buragohain from the city Trinamool Mahila Congress, and other leaders have demanded that the government rehabilitate the affected people of Silsako as soon as possible.

Also Read: Silsako Eviction: Protesters Strip Half-Naked Amid Land Dispute