A 19-year-old youth was killed in police firing and several others injured on Thursday morning as security forces tried to control a mob of evicted residents in Assam’s Goalpara district.
The clash occurred near Paikan reserve forest, where an eviction drive had been carried out on July 12.
The deceased has been identified as Sakowar Ali. “He died of bullet injuries,” an AAMSU leader confirmed. Several forest and police personnel were also injured in the violence, which reportedly erupted after villagers resisted the digging of a road leading to the evicted area. Officials said the mob attacked the security personnel with sticks and stones.
According to local reports, the police resorted to firing to bring the situation under control. A forest official said: “We need to probe what triggered this as the eviction drive on July 12 was mostly peaceful.”
The eviction affected 1,080 families who had settled on 1,038 bighas of forest land. While over 80 per cent left before the drive, the rest stayed in makeshift plastic shelters, citing lack of alternatives. A local youth leader said tension had been simmering in the area since.
A forest department official said the cleared land, which sees one of the highest man-elephant conflicts in the country, was being prepared for a massive plantation drive to prevent future encroachments.
CM blames Rahul
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma blamed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for inciting violence. In a post on X, Sarma said: “Rahul Gandhi came to Assam and openly encouraged encroachers to occupy forest land. Emboldened by his reckless words, a violent mob attacked our personnel today.”
He added, “Twenty-one brave police officers and forest guards suffered injuries. The police had no choice but to open fire—resulting in the unfortunate death of one encroacher.”
“This is the disastrous legacy of Rahul Gandhi’s one-day visit. The people of Assam will not forget or forgive this betrayal,” he said.