GOALPARA, India: In the northeastern Indian state of Assam, near the border with Bangladesh, hundreds of Muslim families now live under makeshift tarpaulin shelters after being forcibly evicted from their homes in what has become one of the largest demolition drives in the region in decades.

Over the past several weeks, authorities have bulldozed the homes of thousands of residents, accusing them of occupying government land illegally. The evictions mark an escalation in a long-running campaign against Bengali-speaking Muslims, many of whom are being labeled as "illegal infiltrators" from Bangladesh.

The latest crackdown comes ahead of the 2025 state elections, in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeks to retain power. The intensified drive also follows the ousting of a pro-India government in Dhaka in August 2024, raising regional political tensions and fueling anti-immigrant sentiment.

"We are accused of being foreigners and encroachers," said 53-year-old Aran Ali, a native of Assam, who now lives with his family in a temporary settlement in Goalpara district. "The government repeatedly harasses us," he said, standing beside the patch of bare earth where his home once stood.

Assam shares a 262-kilometer border with Bangladesh and has long been a flashpoint for immigration-related tensions. Concerns over cultural and demographic changes due to migration—both Hindu and Muslim—from across the border have shaped local politics for decades. However, recent actions have overwhelmingly targeted the Muslim population.

The BJP's policies, both at the national and state levels, have increasingly focused on what it describes as a threat posed by "illegal Muslim migrants" from Bangladesh. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, a prominent BJP leader known for his combative rhetoric, has positioned himself at the forefront of the campaign.

"We are fearlessly resisting the ongoing, unchecked Muslim infiltration from across the border," Sarma declared on social media platform X. "In several districts, Hindus are now on the verge of becoming a minority in their own land."

He has cited the 2011 census to claim that Muslims of migrant origin now make up 30 percent of Assam's 31 million residents, and warned that the minority population could reach nearly 50 percent in the coming years.

Sarma has not responded to media inquiries, including a request from Reuters for comment.

Since taking office in May 2021, Sarma's administration has evicted more than 50,000 people—most of them Bengali-speaking Muslims—from over 160 square kilometers of land, with additional evictions planned.

Tensions flared further when a teenage protester was killed during recent demonstrations against the demolitions. Human rights groups have raised alarm over the humanitarian toll, warning that the forced displacements disproportionately target vulnerable communities and lack legal safeguards.