West Karbi Anglong stabilises, protestors to meet Assam CM in Guwahati

Normalcy has begun to return to violence-hit areas of Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district, with no fresh incidents reported over the past two days, even as a strict security clampdown remains in place, and a crucial tripartite meeting is scheduled in Guwahati on December 26.

Officials said prohibitory orders, a night curfew and suspension of mobile internet services continue in the affected areas following the unrest that left two people dead and several others injured earlier this week. Security forces, including the Army, Rapid Action Force and Central Reserve Police Force, remain deployed to prevent any flare-up.

“The situation is normal now, but restrictions are still in force as a precaution,” an official said.

The violence was centred around Kheroni, the worst-affected area in the district, which is home to Karbi, Bihari, Bengali and Nepali communities. Tensions have simmered for years between the indigenous Karbi community and Hindi-speaking settlers over allegations of encroachment on Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) and Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) lands in the tribal belt.

A meeting involving the state government, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and protestors will be held in Guwahati on Friday. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and KAAC chief Tuliram Ronghang are expected to attend, officials said.

The unrest followed a 15-day hunger strike by Karbi agitators demanding the eviction of alleged illegal settlers, most of whom they claim are from Bihar, from grazing reserve lands in Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts. Violence erupted after police removed three protestors from the site in the early hours of Monday, a move the administration later said was for their medical treatment.

Kheroni witnessed severe violence on Tuesday, with one person killed in police firing and another burnt alive inside his house. More than 70 people were injured, including over 60 police personnel.

Chief Minister Sarma said on Wednesday that the demand to immediately evict alleged encroachers could not be met at this stage due to a stay order by the Gauhati High Court.