ASSAM: Ongoing Violence in Karbi Anglong Over Land Dispute, Two Dead

Gauhati: Violence continued unabated in Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, as protests demanding the removal of alleged encroachers spiraled into unrest.

Demonstrators set fire to shops and houses belonging to non-indigenous people, while also engaging in violent clashes with the police. Protesters, predominantly from the Karbi community, launched bomb attacks, stone pelting, and fired arrows at police personnel in the region of Kheroni.

They are insisting that outsiders be evicted from Reserved Forest Areas (VGRs) and Professional Reserved Areas (PGRs), which they claim have been unlawfully occupied by non-indigenous people.

The violence escalated when a tribal man, believed to be a specially-abled person, became trapped in a building that was set on fire by the protesters and died in the blaze. A protester, critically injured in the clash, also succumbed to his injuries, bringing the death toll to two.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has closely monitored the situation, expressing his sorrow over the loss of lives. He assured that additional security forces would be deployed to restore peace in the region and stated that they are in continuous touch with all relevant parties to resolve the issue through dialogue.

Despite a curfew imposed under Section 163 of the BNS Act from Monday evening, the unrest showed no signs of abating. The state government temporarily suspended internet and mobile data services in both districts to curb the spread of misinformation and prevent further escalation.

Director General of Police, Harmeet Singh, confirmed that 38 police personnel were injured during the violence, including an IPS officer who sustained a shoulder injury. The situation remained tense as protesters attacked shops, detonated gas cylinders, and launched bomb attacks, while police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Authorities have warned that further violence will result in legal action. The police have called for restraint, but despite their efforts to de-escalate the violence, clashes continued in the region.

The unrest first erupted on Sunday evening after nine protesters were arrested during a hunger strike in Kheroni. In retaliation, demonstrators set fire to the ancestral home of Tuliram Ronghang, the Chief Executive Member of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC).

The arrest and subsequent destruction of property sparked further violence, leading to more fires and clashes. On Monday morning, protesters blocked roads and destroyed shops, later marching towards Ronghang’s ancestral area, around 26 kilometers away, where more buildings were set ablaze.

Security forces used force to disperse the crowd, firing blank rounds, but the violence continued to spread. The situation is compounded by a long-standing dispute over land ownership in the Karbi Anglong district. Protesters allege that non-indigenous people have encroached on vast areas of land in VGRs and PGRs.

In response, the KAAC had issued eviction notices to illegal settlers last year, but the notices were contested in court. The Gauhati High Court issued a stay on the eviction orders, further fueling the ongoing unrest.

As the violence continues, the state government is under increasing pressure to address the demands of the protesters and resolve the dispute that has resulted in the tragic loss of life and widespread destruction.

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