Assam Govt to approach HC for early ruling on grazing land eviction: CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that his government will move the Gauhati High Court for an early order on its previous stay on the eviction in grazing lands in West Karbi Anglong and Karbi Anglong districts. The chief minister said this after an area of West Karbi Anglong witnessed violence between the indigenous Karbi and the Bihari communities, in which two persons were killed and 70 people, mostly police personnel, injured earlier this week.

A tripartite meeting was held during the day among the state Government, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and protestors demanding immediate clearing of encroachment of Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) and Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) lands in West Karbi Anglong district.

“It was decided today that the State Government will appeal before the high court for an early judgment in the matter as it is a sensitive issue and we can act as per the order,” Sarma said.

The CM had said on Thursday that the demand by the Karbi people to evict the alleged encroachers from grazing lands cannot be accepted immediately, because of a stay by the Gauhati High Court.

The KAAC, which had not filed its affidavit in the case before the court in the last two years, will do so by January five, Sarma said on Friday.  “It was also decided that the Karbi people will submit a petition in the case before the Court,” he added.

The indigenous Karbi and the Bihari communities have been at loggerheads in West Karbi Anglong district over allegations of encroachment on VGR and PGR lands in the tribal belts by the Hindi-speaking people.

Agitators from the Karbi community had been on a hunger strike for 15 days, demanding the eviction of the alleged illegal settlers in the two districts. They went on a rampage on Monday after police took away three agitators from the protest site during the early hours, a move which the administration later claimed was for their hospitalisation.

The badly affected Kheroni area in West Karbi Anglong district witnessed massive violence on Tuesday, as one person was killed in police firing and another was burnt alive inside his house, while more than 70 others, including over 60 police personnel, were injured.

The chief minister termed Friday’s meeting ‘fruitful’, and stressed that all issues should be resolved amicably.

He said the State Government will grant an ex-gratia of `10 lakh to the family of the person killed in police firing, while the KAAC will provide a job to a family member. It was further decided in the meeting that all Government offices in VGR and PGR lands will be shifted out, and about 8,000 bighas of vacant grazing lands will be fenced by the Council and an afforestation drive undertaken to ensure no future encroachment, Sarma said.

Trade licences issued to business establishments in the grazing lands will also be cancelled, he said.

The KAAC will carry out eviction drives to clear land of various departments encroached in the two districts. “The second round of talks will take place around January 17, and we hope by then the high court will be with us,” the chief minister said. On the violence in Kheroni, Sarma said, “It was not a clash between two communities. There were many old, unresolved issues. For whatever reason, the violence happened, our aim is to restore peace.”

Sarma, who also holds the home department, added that police will grant general amnesty in the violent incidents, except for the case registered regarding the death of the person whose house was set on fire.