Assam SOP: Police nod now mandatory for interfaith land deals; govt flags security concerns | Guwahati News

GUWAHATI: Assam cabinet on Wednesday approved a standard operating procedure (SOP) mandating Assam Police special branch clearance for all inter-religious land transactions, citing concerns over national security, communal harmony, and demographic shifts.The cabinet note states that SOP to streamline the procedure to grant permission for transfer of immovable property in case of inter-religion land transfer “will prevent fraudulent, coercive or illegal transfers of land which may lead to communal tension and ensure compliance with the constitutional principles of equality and non-discrimination”. Announcing this cabinet decision that could reshape land ownership dynamics in the state, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “In a sensitive state like Assam, the transfer of land between two religious groups needs to be handled very, very carefully. All such proposals will now come to the govt and be scrutinised by our special branch.”Only after these checks will deputy commissioners be informed whether to approve the transfer, Sarma said, announcing that the SOP also seeks to legally ring-fence indigenous land rights.The same procedure will apply to NGOs from outside Assam seeking land for educational or healthcare institutions. In his post-cabinet briefing, Sarma said several NGOs from Kerala buying land in Barpeta and showing interest in Sribhumi and Cachar districts. “We have seen many NGOs from outside, like Kerala, purchasing land and establishing institutions, which may be a threat to national security in the coming years,” Sarma added. However, the CM clarified that local NGOs, who we know for their contributions, will be exempt from the new rules. “If the proposal is received from buyers and sellers of the same religion, the SOP will not be applicable to them. But in cases of those from different religions, all these factors will be strictly examined,” Sarma said. The SOP is part of a broader push to implement the Biplab Sharma Committee’s recommendations under Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, which promises constitutional safeguards for the Assamese people. This policy is not just administrative — it is ideological. It reflects the state’s deepening anxiety over demographic shifts, particularly in districts like Goalpara, Barpeta, and Dhubri, where Bangladesh-origin Muslim immigrants are altering the region’s cultural and electoral landscape. This policy shift also comes amid heightened concerns over Bangladesh-origin Muslim immigrants linked to land encroachments. The state govt’s aggressive eviction drive has reclaimed over 1.5 lakh bighas of land since 2021.