For the second day in a row, Assam's Karbi Anglong district witnessed violent clashes on Tuesday, resulting in at least eight people sustaining injuries. The confrontation between two opposing groups of protestors forced police to employ lathi-charges and fire tear-gas shells to restore order, according to official statements.
Protest and Counter-Protest Spark Chaos
The fresh unrest began when a group, which included women and children whose shops were set on fire by a mob a day earlier, staged a protest against the initial violence. Simultaneously, another group of agitators, demanding the eviction of alleged encroachers from the tribal belt, assembled in the Kheroni market area.
Security forces initially attempted to pacify the agitated crowds from both sides. However, the situation rapidly deteriorated when the groups began hurling stones at each other. The stone-pelting injured several protesters, police personnel, and journalists covering the incident. As chaos ensued, police were compelled to first conduct a lathi charge and subsequently fire tear gas shells to disperse the gathering.
Tense Calm and Political Response
The district remains under a "tense" atmosphere, with authorities deploying additional security forces to the spot. Despite prohibitory orders being active in the region, the violence could not be prevented.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma addressed the media, describing the situation in Karbi Anglong as "very sensitive." He informed reporters that Senior Minister Ranoj Pegu was present on the ground to manage the crisis. "I believe the matter will be resolved soon," Sarma stated on the sidelines of an event.
In a related development earlier on Tuesday, protestors demanding eviction called off their 15-day-long hunger strike after holding talks with Minister Ranoj Pegu. The agitators, representing various political and social organizations, withdrew their strike following government assurances that tripartite talks on the eviction issue would be convened soon. Pegu assured them that Chief Minister Sarma would also attend the proposed meeting.
Background: Monday's Destructive Violence
The current spiral of violence traces back to Monday's severe unrest. During that incident, four individuals were injured in police firing after a mob went on a rampage. The protesters set fire to the residence of Tuliram Ronghang, the Chief Executive Member of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), and approximately 15 shops in Kheroni Bazaar. The mob also attempted to storm the local police station but was stopped by security forces.
Chief Minister Sarma later clarified that rumors about the arrest of three hunger-striking protestors had fueled the agitation. "No one has been arrested. They were taken to Guwahati for treatment as their health deteriorated," he explained.
The core demand of the protesting groups centers on the eviction of people they label as "encroachers" from Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) and Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) lands in Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong. The protestors claim most of these settlers originate from Bihar.
