Assam: Evicted families protest over electoral roll revision in Dhubri ahead of polls

Guwahati: Hundreds of residents, previously evicted from Charuabakhra and Santoshpur areas, staged a protest on Friday in front of the Bilasipara Sub-Divisional Officer’s (SDO) office in Assam's Dhubri district, raising concerns over the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of the electoral roll.

The demonstration was organised by the Bilasipara Block Youth Congress.

“The administration must understand that these people are victims of eviction. Subjecting them to repeated scrutiny without rehabilitation is unjust,” a Youth Congress leader said.

The protesters alleged that the SR process has added to their suffering at a time when many families are still struggling to rebuild their lives after eviction drives.

Evicted families participating in the protest claimed they are living in extreme uncertainty without permanent shelter or stable livelihoods.

They said repeated verification visits and official inquiries under the SR process have created fear and confusion among people already displaced from their original habitations.

Raising slogans and holding placards, the protesters demanded immediate intervention from the administration.

“We have already lost our homes and means of survival. Now, in the name of voter list revision, officials are visiting us repeatedly, questioning our identity and residency,” said one protester.

Another participant said the process has left families anxious about their voting rights. “People are scared their names will be deleted when they are already homeless,” he added.

During the protest, representatives of the affected families submitted a memorandum to the Bilasipara SDO and the local Election Officer.

In the memorandum, they urged the authorities to adopt a humanitarian approach while conducting the SR process and to ensure that no eligible voter is excluded due to displacement caused by eviction.

A key demand raised by the protesters was the relocation of polling stations from the original evicted areas.

They argued that forcing displaced families to return to their former localities to vote would amount to further harassment.

“Most families no longer live in those areas. Shifting polling stations closer to their current locations will help ensure free and fair participation in elections,” the memorandum stated.

Youth Congress leaders supporting the protest emphasized that the issue is humanitarian, not political.

The protesters warned that if their demands are not addressed by December 18, they would intensify their agitation and launch a larger mass movement across Bilasipara and adjoining areas.

They stated that the authorities would be responsible for any escalation if timely relief measures are not announced.