Karbi agitation targets illegal encroachment, not communities: Litsong Rongphar

Karbi leader and activist Litsong Rongphar has asserted that the ongoing agitation in Karbi Anglong is directed solely against alleged illegal encroachment and illegitimate settlement, and not against any community or religion, amid heightened tensions and recent violence in the district.

Speaking to India Today NE, Rongphor rejected narratives suggesting a Karbi versus non-Karbi or tribal versus non-tribal conflict. He said the movement is aimed at individuals who, according to Karbi organisations, have illegally encroached upon protected tribal land, including Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) and Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) areas. He maintained that Karbi groups respect all communities residing in the district but oppose what they describe as unlawful settlement and business activities in constitutionally protected tribal areas.

Rongphor said Karbi Anglong is a safeguarded tribal region under constitutional provisions, a status that has existed since the British era. He alleged that this protection has been steadily eroded since 1951, when district council rules came into force. According to him, individuals who settled in Karbi Anglong after 1951 without legitimate land records or legal sanction should be considered “illegitimate”, and any land pattas or trade licences issued to them must be reviewed and cancelled.

Responding to questions on illegal trade licences referred to by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Rongphor said Karbi organisations have long maintained that such licences, land purchases and even voter registrations of alleged post-1951 settlers violate constitutional safeguards meant for tribal areas. He argued that allowing non-tribal outsiders to establish businesses in Karbi Anglong defeats the very purpose of protective provisions under the Sixth Schedule.

On the issue of land ownership by non-tribals, Rongphor said the agitation seeks a comprehensive review of pattas and trade licences issued to non-tribal residents. He said the matter is under discussion with the state government and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, and that the recent tripartite meeting was not final. A further meeting is scheduled for January 17, after which Karbi organisations will decide their future course of action.

Commenting on the Chief Minister’s statement that the council failed to file an affidavit before the High Court for the past two years, delaying eviction drives, Rongphor blamed both the council and the government for what he described as deliberate inaction. He alleged that the council leadership avoided filing affidavits to prevent evictions for political reasons, claiming illegal settlers were being used as a vote bank. Had affidavits been filed, he said, eviction processes would have been legally triggered.

Addressing the violence that erupted after initially peaceful protests, Rongphor said Karbi organisations do not support violence and pointed to their decision to undertake an indefinite hunger strike as proof of their commitment to peaceful agitation. He attributed the unrest to accumulated public anger over what he described as years of neglect, erosion of tribal rights and demographic marginalisation, citing the 2011 Census to claim Karbis had become a minority in their own district.

Rongphor said repeated memorandums and petitions submitted to the state government, the autonomous council and constitutional bodies had failed to yield results, leading to widespread frustration. He reiterated that the agitation would continue until a final resolution is reached, insisting that all land pattas and trade licences issued to alleged post-1951 settlers must be reviewed and cancelled in accordance with constitutional protections for tribal areas.