Gaurav concerned over 'anti-Karbi' slogans' raised in violence-hit area

Guwahati, Dec 26 (PTI) Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Friday expressed shock at purported slogans raised against locals in violence-affected West Karbi Anglong district.

He was referring to slogans purportedly raised by Hindi-speaking people earlier this week following violence in the district, in which two persons were killed and 70 people injured.

The indigenous Karbi and the Bihari communities have been at loggerheads in West Karbi Anglong district over allegations of encroachment on Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) and Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) lands in the tribal belts by the Hindi-speaking people.

"I am shocked to hear about the slogans against the people of the Karbi community in Karbi Anglong," Gogoi said in a post on X.

"The slogans show ignorance and are deeply disrespectful. We must remember what Assam means and stands for," he said.

Appealing to all to remain united and urging for peace and calm, he added, "The state government needs to find a way forward." Agitators from the tribal community had been on a hunger strike for 15 days, demanding the eviction of alleged illegal settlers, who mostly hail from Bihar, from the VGR and PGR lands in two districts -- Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong.

They went on a rampage on Monday after the police took away three agitators from the protest site during the early hours, a move which the administration later claimed was for their hospitalisation.

The badly affected Kheroni area in West Karbi Anglong district witnessed massive violence on Tuesday, as one person was killed in police firing and another was burnt alive inside his house, while more than 70 others, including over 60 police personnel, were injured.

Prohibitory orders, night curfew and suspension of mobile internet services in the affected areas continue to be in force.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said the demand by the Karbi people to evict alleged Hindi-speaking encroachers from grazing lands cannot be accepted immediately, because of a stay by the Gauhati High Court. PTI SSG NN