The large-scale evictions from forest areas in the past four years have raised several pressing questions. Most notably, where did the evicted people go? And how did such widespread encroachment occur right under the forest department’s watch?
Over one lakh bighas of land have been cleared, but the displaced cannot simply disappear. Official sources told that while tracking every evictee is difficult, many returned to char areas where they previously lived, while others relocated to their own lands elsewhere—for instance, many from Darrang moved to Morigaon.
A significant number, especially from one community, migrated to work in the coffee plantations of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, drawn by higher demand and lower wages. Others became daily wage labourers across the country.
Officials admit that around 80–90% vacate voluntarily when eviction is announced, while the rest resist. They also acknowledged forest department lapses, political patronage, and timber smuggling as major factors behind the encroachments. Unanswered questions remain—such as how electricity and roads were illegally built in forest zones—highlighting the need for a thorough probe.
