Goalpara (Assam): Tensions flared in Assam’s Goalpara district on Thursday after a clash broke out between evicted settlers and security personnel at the Paikan Reserve Forest, leaving one person dead and several others, including policemen, injured.
According to officials, the violence erupted when a joint team of forest department staff and police arrived in the area to cordon off a section of the reserve forest, where an eviction operation had been conducted earlier on July 12.
The department had planned to dig a channel to prevent re-encroachment.
While Wednesday’s preparatory work reportedly passed without incident, the situation turned violent on Thursday morning.
“As the team resumed work, they were suddenly attacked by a group of people with sticks and stones,” a senior official said, adding that those involved were believed to be among the individuals evicted during last week’s drive.
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In an attempt to disperse the crowd and restore order, security forces opened fire. One person was killed in the firing, and two others sustained injuries.
Several forest guards and police personnel were also hurt in the attack, officials confirmed.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions in areas where eviction drives have been undertaken to clear encroachments from forest land, a sensitive and recurring issue in parts of Assam.
Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation in the region.
