Karbi Anglong And Manipur is a Warning for the Indigenous Peoples of Northeast India

A chilling slogan recently pierced the air amid escalating protests: "Karbi Chinese, go back." These words, allegedly shouted by non-tribal residents during clashes in the Kheroni region, represent one of the most unfortunate and heartbreaking developments in the ongoing struggle for indigenous rights.

To hear calls for indigenous people to "get out" of their ancestral lands—especially when outsiders have grown in numbers and influence—is a profound tragedy. It signals a dangerous reversal where hospitality is repaid with hostility, and constitutional protections for tribal communities are challenged by demographic shifts and unchecked settlement.

The violent unrest in Kheroni's main market on December 22, 2025, was far from instantaneous—it had been boiling for nearly two years, rooted in deep fears over indigenous land rights.

Tensions surged in early January 17, 2024 when the Rachnatmak Nonia Sanyukta Sangh, representing Hindi-speaking residents in Assam—submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, demanding legal recognition of land rights for settlers who arrived before 2011.

However, on February 20, 2024, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council issued eviction notices to over 10,000 people accused of illegally occupying reserved grazing lands. While Karbi groups push for the eviction of non-tribal settlers to safeguard community land and identity under Sixth Schedule protections, Hindi-speaking communities, including Nonias from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, seek de-reservation of these Village Grazing Reserves (VGR) and Professional Grazing Reserves (PGR) to obtain secure land titles.

This demand sparked widespread opposition from Karbi student associations and tribal bodies, who viewed it as a direct threat to their ancestral lands. Peaceful protests erupted across Kheroni and Dongkamukam, including tire burnings, rallies, sit-ins, and even semi-nude demonstrations to highlight the urgency.

Also Read: Why the Army Remains Our Only Hope for Lasting Peace in Manipur?

The situation briefly escalated when Karbi protesters were allegedly attacked at night by unidentified assailants in Kheroni, injuring several student leaders and leading to road blockades. Tribal groups demanded immediate eviction drives against alleged illegal occupants and posed a rhetorical challenge: Could Northeast indigenous peoples similarly claim grazing lands in Bihar?

Despite announcements of evictions and court interventions staying them, little progress was made, allowing grievances to fester. By December 2025, a renewed hunger strike intensified the standoff, culminating in clashes, arson, and tragic loss of life.

These grazing lands, covering thousands of acres, are safeguarded under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which grants autonomous councils in tribal areas like Karbi Anglong authority over land allocation and restricts transfers to non-tribals. 

The Karbis, one of Assam's oldest indigenous tribes with Tibeto-Burman roots, argue that decades of migration—primarily from Hindi-speaking communities, Bengalis, and  Biharis—has led to encroachment, threatening their identity, livelihoods, and survival.

Historical records show that post-independence, economic opportunities drew permanent settlers to the Mikir Hills (now Karbi Anglong), turning temporary migration into entrenched communities. 

While the 2011 Census indicates Scheduled Tribes comprise about 56% of the population in the combined districts, Karbi organizations claim their share has dipped to around 35% in some areas due to influx. Even if disputed by officials like Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the perception of becoming a minority in one's homeland fuels deep anxiety. 

"We gave them an opportunity to live, and they thought they owned it," echoes a sentiment shared widely among indigenous voices. When protests turned violent—culminating in arson, including the burning of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member's residence—the response included offensive slogans labeling Karbis as "Chinese" and demanding they "go back."

This is not mere rhetoric; it is an insult to a community inseparable from Assam's history. The Karbis are "sons of the soil," as noted litterateur Rita Chowdhury emphasized in solidarity. Raising hate slogans against indigenous people in their ancestral lands raises profound questions about mutual respect and constitutional fidelity. 

Long-term settlement does not override Sixth Schedule safeguards, nor can government delays in enforcement justify erasing tribal identity.Violence is deplorable and unsupported by any rational voice, including Karbi leaders who condemn it while highlighting frustration from ignored peaceful demands. 

Today, the Hunger strikes entering 18th day, sit-ins, and appeals for dialogue reflect a movement rooted in protecting constitutional rights, not targeting any religion or community. 

Yet, the slogan "Karbi Chinese, go back" reveals a darker undercurrent: when outsiders outnumber or wield greater economic power, they may feel emboldened to challenge indigenous claims.

This pattern is alarmingly familiar in Manipur, where ethnic violence since May 2023 has displaced over 70,000 people and claimed more than 300 lives. Some Kuki leaders, backed by militant groups have repeatedly called for a "separate administration," arguing they can no longer coexist peacefully amid perceived bias, violence, and threats to their identity. 

The indigenous Meitei community, in turn, oppose separation, viewing it as a threat to territorial integrity and fearing demographic shifts. The conflict, triggered by disputes over demand of Scheduled Tribe status by Meitei, forest land encroachment by Kukis, curb on poppy plantations and alleged illegal migration from Myanmar, has divided the state into ethnic conflicts where indigenous Meitei are forced to flee from their ancestral lands in Churachandpur, Moreh, Kangpokpi and Ikou. 

Like the Karbis, it is the Meiteis which showed hospitality to Kukis migrating from neighbouring Burma ( now Myanmar) over centuries, with significant settlements occurring in the 19th century. Furthermore, after Manipur's merger with India in 1949, there were instances of Kuki refugees entering the state amid regional instability. However, in the ongoing conflict, Meiteis have been displaced from certain hill areas which is their rightful lands, while Kukis assert their longstanding presence (around 200 years) and rights to ancestral lands in the hills, leading to competing claims over territory.

The Karbi Anglong incident is a microcosm of this broader Northeast crisis. Today, it's "Karbi Chinese, go back" in Assam's hills; tomorrow, it could echo in Bodoland, Dima Hasao, or other Sixth Schedule areas where tribal protections clash with migration pressures. In Nagaland or Mizoram, similar anxieties over "outsiders" buying land or influencing politics persist. Even in Arunachal Pradesh or Tripura, indigenous groups watch warily as economic development attracts settlers.

Assam's strength, and indeed the Northeast's, lies in unity built on dignity and mutual respect. Allowing divisions to fester weakens this fabric. Indigenous communities extended hospitality, integrating migrants into the social and economic life. 

But when that generosity is met with demands to "go back," it erodes coexistence.The government bears significant responsibility. Delays in evicting encroachers—stayed by Gauhati High Court petitions from settlers claiming decades-long residence—breed frustration as no one can challenge the court order. 

Noted voices like All Bodo Students' Union President Dipen Boro have highlighted flaws in Sixth Schedule implementation, calling for collaboration among tribal bodies. This is wise; united indigenous fronts can safeguard shared interests without descending into conflict.If we are not united—as indigenous peoples across states, as citizens of India—the fire will spread. 

The unfortunate slogan in Karbi Anglong is a wake-up call. It reminds us that demographic shifts, if unmanaged, can invert power dynamics, turning protectors of land into perceived intruders. Peaceful coexistence demands respect for constitutional safeguards, empathy for indigenous anxieties, and rejection of hate.

In ethnic conflicts across Northeast India, such as the Manipur violence that erupted on May 3, 2023, and the recent unrest in Karbi Anglong's Kheroni market area starting December 22, 2025, a recurring pattern unfolds: when outsiders gain disproportionate power through demographic shifts or economic influence, indigenous communities feel threatened with marginalization and displacement.

In response, they may turn to defensive protests or violence, which is frequently portrayed as the primary cause of the conflict—oversimplifying the dynamics and overlooking the fundamental principle that every action provokes a reaction.

This was evident in Manipur, where reports of daytime harassment of Meitei people and the burning of Meitei houses and properties in areas like Churachandpur, Torbung, and Phougakchao Ikhai triggered fiercer retaliatory violence in the Imphal Valley. Similarly, in Kheroni, initial protests over alleged land encroachment escalated into arson and clashes, met with strong counter-responses.

The Karbis are not fighting any community; they are seeking justice for their land and identity. Likewise, in Manipur, true resolution lies in dialogue rather than separation or dominance. The Northeast's future depends on honouring its indigenous core while pursuing inclusive growth.

Let us unequivocally condemn violence, reject divisive slogans, and commit to unity. For if indigenous voices are silenced in their own lands, the harmony of the entire region will crumble.