The situation remained tense but under control in two districts of Karbi Anglong in central Assam on Wednesday, with officials reporting no fresh incidents of violence in the affected areas.
At least two people were killed and 45 others, including 38 police personnel, were injured on Tuesday after violence erupted in the Kheroni area of West Karbi Anglong district. Assam Police Director General of Police Harmeet Singh and Inspector General (Law and Order) Akhilesh Kumar Singh sustained minor injuries during stone-pelting by protesters.
“As of now, the situation is under control. There was no violence throughout the night and this morning. However, it is very tense as the two warring communities started mobilising in small numbers at different places,” a senior official told PTI.
The official said five additional companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were deployed in the area, following which security forces carried out a joint flag march on Wednesday morning.
The Karbi and Bihari communities have been at loggerheads over allegations of encroachment on Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) and Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) land in tribal belts by Hindi-speaking people.
“In the morning, Karbi people gathered at Thelampi in Kheroni and took out a procession towards Dongkamukam. They reached the bridge over Kapili, while people from the other community were waiting on the other side. The police managed to convince one community members to return from there,” the official said.
Despite prohibitory orders being in force, a large number of Bihari people, including women and children whose shops were allegedly burnt by members of the Karbi community on Monday, came out on the streets on Tuesday. The situation escalated into a clash, with agitators using stones, sticks, rods, and bows and arrows.
“When police tried to pacify both sides, they were pelted with stones. I took a hit on my shoulder, and an IPS officer (Akhilesh Singh) was injured. At least 38 personnel have been injured,” Singh told reporters on Tuesday night.
As the violence intensified, police resorted to baton charge and fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters. Eventually, police opened fire, killing one Karbi youth and injuring several others.
Separately, a specially abled youth was burnt alive inside a shop in the Kheroni area, which is inhabited by members of the Bihari, Bengali and Nepali communities, in addition to the Karbis. The body of 25-year-old Suresh Dey was recovered from a building that was set ablaze by Karbi people, while Athik Timung from the indigenous Karbi community was killed in police firing.
In view of the escalating violence, internet services in Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts were suspended indefinitely on Tuesday to maintain peace and tranquillity.
Agitators from the Karbi community had been on a hunger strike for the past 15 days, demanding eviction of alleged illegal settlers, mostly from Bihar, from VGR and PGR land in the two districts. The protesters went on a rampage on Monday after police removed three agitators from the protest site in the early hours, a step the administration later said was taken to facilitate their hospitalisation.
At least four people were injured in police firing on Monday after protesters allegedly set fire to the residence of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang and around 15 shops belonging to the Bihari community at Kheroni market. The mob also attempted to attack the Kheroni police station, but security forces thwarted the attempt.
Following talks with Assam Tribal Affairs Minister Ranoj Pegu, who rushed to the district after Monday’s violence, protesters called off their hunger strike on Tuesday morning. They withdrew the protest after receiving assurances from the government that a tripartite dialogue would be held soon.
A senior official told PTI on Wednesday that the first round of talks is likely to take place on December 26 between Karbi agitating organisations, the Assam government and the KAAC.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday described the situation in Karbi Anglong as “very sensitive” and said he was deeply pained by the loss of lives.
“I am closely monitoring the situation in West Karbi Anglong... We are in constant touch with all concerned to restore normalcy and resolve issues through dialogue,” he said.
Expressing condolences to the bereaved families, Sarma said the government would stand by all affected families and extend all necessary support. The DGP also appealed to all sections of society to explain to the “misguided youth” that violence cannot resolve issues, while the chief minister said he would hold discussions with them to address their grievances.
Prohibitory orders remain in force in both Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts. A night curfew has also been imposed in Karbi Anglong, restricting the movement of individuals, groups and private vehicles between 5 pm and 6 am.