Guwahati, Aug. 12 -- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reiterated on Monday that anti-encroachment drives are not targeted at "minority-dominated" areas, but in forests or other reserved land illegally occupied by 'Miya-Muslims'. Sarma said that 'Miya-Muslims' have half of the State's land in their possession by occupying the 'chars' (vegetative riverine areas), where other communities have not settled.

'Miya' is originally a term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, and the non-Bengali speaking people generally identify them as Bangladeshi immigrants. "Eviction is not in minority-dominated areas. Eviction drives are for 'Miya-Muslims' who have encroached on forest land, or VGR (village grazing reserve), PGR (professional g...