Guwahati, Feb. 18: The violence that erupted during an Adivasi rally in Beltola was planned jointly by the All Adivasi National Liberation Army (ANLA) and the All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam, a woman companion of militant leader Bijay Munda revealed today.

Anita Karmakar, who was picked up for her alleged links with ANLA some time ago, made this shocking statement before the one-man R.K. Manisena Singh Commission, which is probing the November 24 mob mayhem in Beltola. One person died and over 200 were injured in that incident.

The students’ association and the militant organisation have “common members and a common agenda” and the whole Beltola episode was planned to send a strong message to the government on their demands for Scheduled Tribe status, Karmakar said.

Those privy to Karmakar’s deposition quoted her as saying that ANLA leaders and student activists decided to stage a “jordaar rally” and that sections of the Adivasi groups instigated the processionists to resort to vandalism.

Karmakar’s statement comes days after the student union’s vice-president, Raphael Kujur, told the commission that he and other leaders of the organisation were in the dark about the Adivasi procession in Guwahati on November 24. Kujur was arrested on charges of accepting funds from the ANLA.

Munda and an arrested ANLA member, Dilip Beg, were part of the rally.

The Manisena commission summoned Karmakar through the police on February 15 as a special witness .

It also sought records “pertaining to her arrest” and asked the police to escort her to the commission.

But Karmakar deposed before the commission today without any escort. Neither did the police submit any record about “arrest”.

On why there were no police escort, Karmakar said she was under surveillance of the police and not in their custody.

Though the police were tight-lipped on whether she was arrested, sources said that she was only picked up for questioning by Paltan Bazar police because of her association with Munda.

Karmakar’s deposition lasted for around half-an-hour today, during which she spoke about the “preparation” before the rally, how she came in contact with the outfit and the division between the student union along religious lines.

It was apparent, sources said, that the 24-year-old from Tinsukia had come well prepared to face the commission.

She said she got associated with ANLA after meeting commander Munda through a common friend.

“She did not say that she was directly involved but since she was staying in the same house as Munda she often overheard conversations, including the ones pertaining to the rally,” a source said.

Karmakar was privy to the alleged meeting between the student union’s president, Justin Lakra, and Munda in a city hotel a day before the rally.