Two killed in fresh violence in Assam's Karbi Anglong; internet suspended

Government calls the protesters for a meeting with CM on January 3

Guwahati: The violent protest demanding eviction of non-tribals in Assam's West Karbi Anglong district took a deadly turn on Tuesday as two people died during fresh violence, arson and retaliatory action by the security forces.

Sources in police said one agitator died allegedly in police retaliation to violence, while a 32-year-old non-tribal man died after the agitators set fire on shops at Kheroni market in the evening.

A police officer told DH that the non-tribal victim was physically challenged, so he could not run away when the agitators set fire.

Several shops and two-wheelers were set on fire while agitators rained stones and even used arrows targeting the security forces. The volatile situation prevailed forcing the administration to suspend internet and mobile data services as part of efforts to prevent escalation of the situation.

Assam DGP Harmeet Singh, who was leading the forces during the protest, repeatedly appealed to the agitators to stop violence as the government already began talks to address their grievances.

Police resorted to blank firing, used tear gas shells and batons as the protesters rained stones targeting them near a bridge over the Kopili river in the outskirts of Kheroni area, where similar violence took place on Monday. Several police personnel were injured in stone pelting.

The fresh violence was reported at Kheroni market and nearby areas on Tuesday afternoon soon after Assam education minister Ranoj Pegu ended talks with the protesters and fixed January 3 for a tripartite meeting involving Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Tuliram Ronghang, the Chief Executive Member of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC).

Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts are administered by the KAAC, an autonomous council set up under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. BJP is in power of the council. The protesters on Monday even set fire on Ronhang's ancestral home.

The non-tribals, particularly belonging to Hindi-speaking communities, were also seen staging protest with sticks and rods in their hands, demanding security.

Root of the conflict

The protesters belonging to Karbi tribe have been demanding eviction of the non-tribals (particularly Hindi-speaking people with origins in Bihar/UP) from Professional Village Grazing (PVGR) and Village Grazing Land (VGR), a protected category of government land.

The demand got louder two years ago when the BJP-led government intensified eviction drive targeting the Bengali-speaking Muslims occupying forests, PVGR and VGR land. "Why these illegal settlers are not being evicted by the government despite our demand? The Karbis have been reduced to 35 per cent population due to such illegal settlers," a protester said.

As the demand remained unfulfilled, a group of Karbis have been staging a hunger strike since December 6. On Monday, the protest turned violent after those sitting on hunger strike were forcefully taken to hospital in Guwahati, about 220 km away.

Chief Minister Sarma said that the council and the government were unable to carry out the eviction due to an interim order of Guwahati High Court against the same. "We cannot forcefully remove people out of Karbi Anglong. We don't like Bangladeshis but even then we can't beat and chase them away. So, we are trying to find a solution through talks," Sarma said on Tuesday.

The Opposition Congress appealed the agitators to stop violence but condemned the government for "neglecting" the hunger strike since December 6.