Goalpara’s Rakhyasini Pahar witnesses shift from lush greenery to encroachment
From about 1997 onwards families migrated to the area owing to seasonal flooding that destroyed homes, crops & livelihoods
Goalpara, July 14: Rakhyasini Pahar, a historically significant area in Goalpara district, was declared a Proposed Reserve Forest in 1959, encompassing 2,700 hectares. Though detailed records are limited, the region was known for its lush greenery and medicinal plants.
Located near the Goalpara Forest Gate along the Krishnai-Garo Bajar and Sri Surya Pahar Road, it borders the river Jinari, approximately 6.3 kilometres from Goalpara town. In the 1990s, Rakhyasini Pahar was a dense forest of sal and segun trees. Travelers recall that up to 1995, the area remained largely untouched, featuring only a small tea stall operated by Chetan Rabha (later Chetan Rabha Hajong), and a quiet gravel road to Sainik School at Mornoi, primarily used by locals and those traveling to Goalpara or Sainik School.
From approximately 1997, families migrated to the Rakhyasini Pahar area, primarily from flood-prone char areas in Barpeta and Goalpara districts, including Baghbar Char, Ujiror Char, Chopla Char, Katakhali Char, and Baladmari Char. These migrations were largely driven by seasonal flooding that devastated homes, crops, and livelihoods.
According to senior BJP executive member Dr Kashyap Prakash, Rakhyasini Pahar has recently gained attention due to an eviction drive announced by the State government in Goalpara district. He stated that the 2004 Bolbolla floods in Goalpara displaced local residents and spurred migration from flood-prone Barpeta and Bongaigaon. Unlike Bolbolla residents, many migrants settled in the Rakhyasini Pahar area, causing encroachment and deforestation as temporary shelters became permanent settlements. Dr Prakash claimed that political leaders had planned a minority enclave near Goalpara, a town historically known for Hindu-Muslim harmony. Goalpara saw an influx of settlers in the 1990s, many displaced by floods, who settled in Rakhyasini Pahar and boosted the informal economy. This also led to environmental damage through illegal logging and quarrying disguised as religious development.
He informed that around 2010, Rakhyasini Pahar experienced another influx of people due to the emergence of ‘Bosta Baba’, a self-proclaimed godman. He attracted followers, particularly vulnerable individuals seeking cures, with water healing therapies and spiritual remedies. Following Bosta Baba’s death around 2016-17, some of his followers, mainly from flood-affected char areas, began a religious migration, transforming the Rakhyasini Pahar area.
Dr Prakash stated that political appeasement and neglect from 2004 to 2012 allowed illegal settlements to expand in the Rakhyasini Pahar region. Reportedly, Congress MLAs, starting with Shaheed Mazumdar, fostered illegal immigration and encroachment on forests and tribal lands for electoral advantage. The 2004 floods exacerbated this, with displaced people, especially from Barpeta and Bongaigaon, informally settling on ecologically sensitive land, including Rakhyasini Pahar’s forests, allegedly with political support. Residents reported settlement and the construction of religious structures during this time.
However, indigenous Goalpara Muslim families fear the loss of their ancestral identity due to demographic changes, alleging that local politicians encouraged new settlers with different customs in an act of appeasement. Dr Prakash also mentioned the killing of two persons during a communal flare-up around 2013 in that area, amidst tensions from identity assertions and land disputes, and recalled a temple desecration in 2011 that deepened the communal divide. Encroachments also affected hamlets like Duba Para and Pahar Singh Para in the Jinari and Surya Pahar river basin areas.
Furthermore, Dr Prakash lauded the State government led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for its land reform measures and decisive action against illegal encroachment. He praised the government’s efforts to reclaim public and forest lands, particularly highlighting the situation in Rakhyasini Pahar in Goalpara district. Dr Prakash attributed the shifting demographics in Goalpara to internal migration driven by socio-economic factors, leading to pressure on land and resources, exacerbating encroachment, and causing a ‘demographic imbalance’.
He warned of long-term consequences for the region’s socio-cultural fabric, environmental sustainability, and law and order if these issues are not addressed. He advocated for strict enforcement of land ownership laws, updated land surveys, and establishing of legal accountability to protect government and community lands.