Nearly 8,000 Muslims lost their homes in Assam’s Silbhanga village when authorities demolished them, claiming they were illegally built on railway land. On June 24, amid heavy rains, hundreds of houses were demolished, displacing families who had lived there for nearly four decades.
Silbhanga, near a defunct railway line, was home to many Muslims of Bengal origin who migrated after losing their homes to natural calamities. The economic decline pushed residents to informal settlements on railway property.
Mamoni Begum, a Class 10 student, said, “We have been living here for three generations. “Now we have no land or place to go.
Local residents claimed that the target was targeting Muslim houses with Bengal origin as almost all demolished houses belonged to Muslim families. There were allegations of selective targeting as despite the encroachment on railway land, nearby Hindu residences, including a temple and an ashram, were not touched.
“They levelled the madrasa and broke the wall of the mosque but did not touch the Kali temple and ashram,” Abul Kashem said.
The authorities defended the eviction legally and after prior notice. However, the demolition continued despite a stay order from the Gauhati High Court.
Opposition leaders condemned the expulsion as political vendetta, accusing the BJP of targeting Muslims for not voting up. The BJP leaders denied any political motive and said the eviction was based on the legal basis of the unauthorised occupation.
Displaced families, mainly daily wage earners, faced the immediate challenges of finding shelter and securing belongings amid the rubble. Many expressed apprehensions about their future, unsure about rehabilitation or compensation from the authorities.