Fresh Violence in Assam’s Karbi Anglong, Eight Injured as Protests Turn Violent

Fresh violence erupted in Assam’s trouble-torn Karbi Anglong district on Tuesday with at least eight people injured as two groups of protestors clashed and the police resorted to lathicharge and firing of tear-gas shells to disperse them, officials said.

Despite prohibitory orders in force, a large number of people, including women and children whose shops were burnt by a mob on Monday, came out to protest against the violence, while the agitators demanding the eviction of encroachers from the tribal belt also gathered in the Kheroni market area.

Both the groups were agitated, and the security forces deployed in the area tried to pacify them, but suddenly stone pelting began from both sides, injuring several protestors, police personnel and media persons covering the incident, a senior police officer said.

As the situation spiralled out of control, the police resorted to a lathi charge and then fired tear gas shells to disperse both groups of protesters, he said. The situation is “tense” in the area, and additional forces have been rushed to the spot. The protestors had earlier torched two motorcycles in the Kheroni area. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the “situation in Karbi Anglong was very sensitive.”

“Senior minister Ranoj Pegu is present in the district. I believe that the matter will be resolved soon,” Sarma said on the sidelines of a programme. Earlier on Tuesday, protestors called off their hunger strike demanding eviction of encroachers from tribal belt areas following talks with Pegu.

The agitators, belonging to several political and social organisations, have been on a hunger strike for the last 15 days, demanding the eviction of illegal settlers.

Pegu held talks with protestors, and they called off their hunger strike following assurances from the Government that tripartite talks will be held on the issue soon. The Chief Minister will be present in the meeting, Pegu said.

On Monday, four people were injured in police firing on protestors who went on a rampage, setting ablaze the residence of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) chief executive member Tuliram Ronghang and around 15 shops in Kheroni Bazaar.

The protestors also attempted to attack the police station in Kheroni on Monday, but it was foiled by security forces. A prohibitory order was imposed in Karbi Anglong and in the neighbouring West Karbi Anglong district. Night curfew was also imposed in Karbi Anglong district with restrictions on the movement of any person or groups and private vehicles throughout the district from 5 pm to 6 am.

Pegu arrived at Kheroni on Monday night to review the situation. DGP Harmeet Singh also rushed to Karbi Anglong and visited the affected areas, and reviewed the prevailing situation. Pegu said that additional forces have been rushed to the area from neighbouring districts and the ‘situation is under control.’

‘A section of the people are angry that the encroachers are settling on PGR and VGR land, and there was an attempt to evict them last year, but a petition was filed in the Gauhati High Court, which passed an interim order staying the eviction process’, he said. The matter can be resolved only through dialogue, and ‘We are holding discussions with both protestors and the encroachers’, Pegu added.

The Chief Minister had said on Monday night that rumours began circulating that three protestors who were on hunger strike had been arrested, and they became agitated.

“No one has been arrested, but they were taken for treatment to Guwahati as their health deteriorated,” he said. Sarma said that he was in touch with the district officials and leaders of the organisations protesting.

“We hope to bring the situation under control by tonight,” he added.

The protestors are demanding the eviction of encroachers, who mostly hail from Bihar, from the Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) and Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) lands in the two districts. The police tried to remove the protesters forcibly in the Kheroni area of Karbi Anglong, following which a clash ensued.

The protestors also alleged that the police had arrested three persons who were on hunger strike, but KAAC chief Tuliram Ronghang later told reporters that they were admitted to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital.

As news of the clash spread, a group of protesters set ablaze the old residence of KAAC’s CEM in Donkamokam, following which the security forces opened fire, in which three agitators and a policeman were injured, officials said.