Guwahati, March 27: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the state government has successfully ensured land rights for indigenous people while conducting eviction drives against encroachers. He emphasized the government’s commitment to protecting “jati, mati, bhet” (community, land, and identity) in a post on the social media platform ‘X’.
Sarma stated, “In line with our promise to protect ‘jati, mati, bhet’, our government has not only freed lands from encroachers but also granted land rights to indigenous people for the first time since independence. The lands of Assam belong to its people, not to encroachers.”
The Chief Minister highlighted that the Mission Vasundhara initiative has played a crucial role in providing land ownership rights to a significant number of families across the state. According to him, over 2.3 million families have become landowners under this mission, marking a historic step towards ensuring land ownership for indigenous communities.
Additionally, approximately 350,000 tea garden families are being provided with land leases for “tea line” lands, further expanding access to land ownership.
Sarma reiterated that the government’s eviction campaign aims to reclaim encroached land and ensure its redistribution among eligible beneficiaries, particularly indigenous people.
The BJP government has consistently made the protection of land rights and indigenous identity a key political issue, especially ahead of elections. The slogan “jati, mati, bhet” has been central to its campaign, emphasizing identity, land, and cultural preservation.
Officials expect these initiatives to have significant socio-economic impacts by providing legal ownership and security to thousands of families who previously lacked formal land documents.
This announcement comes amid a surge in political activities in Assam, where land and identity issues are dominating electoral discussions ahead of the assembly elections. Voting for the 126-member assembly is scheduled for April 9, with vote counting set for May 4.