Illegal Bangladeshi migrants had captured a Shiva temple and its surrounding land. CM Himanta is smoking them out

Within weeks of taking over as Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma is correcting historical wrongs at an unprecedented pace. In what seems to be a statewide drive against illegal encroachers, the Assam government is having such swathes of land vacated from the clutches of Bangladeshi immigrants. The BJP government of the state is earning praises on social media especially, for beginning such a drive soon after coming to power once again. The encroachment of government land – mostly by illegal Bangladeshi immigrants is quite a common practice in Assam, particularly if the land is in the char area (riverbanks) of the River Brahmaputra.

There have been at least two reported instances in the past week where authorities in Assam have freed large swathes of land from the illegal occupation of encroachers. In Assam’s Darrang district, the stern intervention of authorities has now resulted in an ancient Lord Shiva temple being freed. The encroachers, meanwhile, were seen withdrawing their occupation of the encroached land.

According to Sentinel Assam, the pre-historic Shiva Temple with a number of caves at Dhalpur Hill under Sipajhar Revenue Circle in Darrang district has been regarded as one of the oldest Shiva temples in the country. According to the revenue department, a total area of 180 bighas of land has been allotted in the name of the Shiva Temple. According to mythology, the second of the Pandavas, Bhim had spent his tenure of exile in Dhalpur hill. However, the land reserved for the Shiva Temple has frequently been encroached upon by illegal occupiers.

In January this year, 45 encroacher families were evicted from the said site. However, they once again took possession of the land illegally. Immediately after taking over as Superintendent of Police in Darrang – Sushanta Biswa Sarma made a visit to the Shiva Temple along with Circle Officer Nandan Bhagawati and on seeing the large-scale encroachment of the temple land, asked the encroachers to clear the land within three days on their own accord. The encroachers soon started leaving the area thereafter.

Meanwhile, Assamese news channel DY 365 has reported that more than 275 bigha land belonging to the state government had been encroached by illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators in the Kaki-Lanka area of Nagaon district. The district administration recently demolished illegal constructions and settlements in the area using JCB excavators. The district administration also destroyed the illegal cultivation of turmeric by Bangladeshi infiltrators in what is actually a rubber plantation owned by the government of Assam, under CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.

https://twitter.com/LegalLro/status/1401718621265489923?s=20

Here on, the Himanta Biswa Sarma government’s action against illegal infiltrators will only increase, and all encroached lands in Assam will be freed.