Bombs, arrows fly in Assam's Karbi Anglong, Army deployed
The Army has been deployed in Assam's West Karbi Anglong, a day after police personnel were attacked.
Indigenous Karbi groups and other tribal bodies had been staging an indefinite hunger strike for over two weeks at Phelangpi in the Kheroni area, demanding eviction of settlers from Village Grazing Reserves (VGRs) and Professional Grazing Reserves (PGRs).
Tensions escalated sharply after nine hunger strikers were detained late Sunday night, which police said was to shift them to Guwahati for medical treatment claiming their health deteriorated.
As news of the detentions spread on Tuesday, anger mounted among tribal villagers, leading to road blockades, vandalism and eventually large-scale violence.
Reports say markets and a local BJP leader's home set ablaze.
Internet services have been snapped. The flare-up was sparked allegedly by 'police action' against tribal hunger strikers protesting alleged encroachment on protected tribal land.
It is a long-running fault line in the Sixth Schedule district of Assam.
Police personnel were reportedly attacked with stones, arrows, and crude bombs. Shops and houses were torched, and the residence of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) chief, the BJP's Tuliram Ronghang, was set ablaze on Tuesday.
The Karbi Anglong region falls in central Assam and shares border with Dimapur-region in Nagaland.
The Guwahati-based daily 'The Assam Tribune' reported that a Hindu Bengali man, Suresh Dey, was a disabled person. He was charred to death after being trapped inside a building set on fire, while the protester from the Karbi community succumbed to injuries.
There is a long-standing land dispute tied to Karbi Anglong's status under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides special protections for tribal land and self-governance through autonomous councils.
Karbi Anglong falls under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which grants special autonomy and land protections to tribal-majority areas to safeguard indigenous communities' rights, culture and control over land and governance.
Last year, the KAAC administration issued eviction notices to alleged settlers, but these were challenged in the Gauhati High Court, which issued an interim stay, leaving the issue unresolved.
The Chief Minister affirmed that the additional security forces will be deployed in Kherani to ensure safety and peace.
"I am closely monitoring the situation in West Karbi Anglong.
It is deeply painful that two people lost their lives during today's unrest. Additional security forces will be deployed in Kherani tomorrow to maintain peace.
We are in constant touch with all concerned to restore normalcy and resolve issues through dialogue. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. The Government will stand with all affected families and provide all necessary support," CM Sarma wrote on X.
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