Photojournalist Tramples Body Of Protestor In Assam’s Darrang During Eviction Drive, Gets Hugged By Policeman In Jubilation

A disturbing video from an ongoing eviction drive in Assam’s Darrang district on Thursday shows a man shot in the chest and lynched by a group of policemen. A photojournalist filming the clash is seen trampling the man, even as he is lying motionless on the ground.

The horrific incident is the latest instalment of the Assam government’s eviction drive against what it terms “illegal encroachments” in the Sipajhar area of Darrang.

A report on Scroll says the administration served an eviction notice to residents of Kirakota Char on Wednesday night and protest erupted on Thursday morning. “After this, the administration reportedly promised that the villagers will be rehabilitated before the eviction. However, once activists left the area, the police opened fire on the protestors,” the report claims.

Some 800 families were evicted from their homes from government land by the local administration and the police in Sipajhar.

Following the drive, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted: “Continuing our drive against illegal encroachments, I am happy and compliment district administration of Darrang and @assampolice for having cleared about 4500 bigha, by evicting 800 households, demolishing 4 illegal religious structures and a private instn at Sipajhar, Darrang.”

He added that he had inspected such riverine areas “encroached by illegal settlers near Dholpur Shiva Mandir” in June.

“I had assured temple mgmt & local people to set up a Manikut, build a guest house & boundary wall. Today’s eviction is aimed at starting community farming by removing encroachment,” he wrote.

The eviction drives are being undertaken more than three months after Sarma promised to evict residents, mostly Muslims of Bengali origin, accusing them of encroaching on government land.

This is despite a court order, that states there would be no eviction drive during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is also made clear that any decree for eviction/dispossession or demolition which was passed by any court, tribunal or authority during this period, shall remain in abeyance subject to any specific orders which may be passed in a given case,” the court’s May 10 pandemic-related order says.