Normalcy returning to Assam's West Karbi Anglong; protestors to meet CM

Diphu/Guwahati, Dec 26 (PTI) Normalcy was returning to violence-hit areas of Assam's West Karbi Anglong district with no fresh incidents reported, while the state government, autonomous council, and protestors will hold a tripartite meeting in Guwahati on Friday.

Strict security vigil is being maintained in the affected areas, after two persons were killed and several others, including police personnel, were injured in violence earlier this week, they said.

"The situation is normal now. However, prohibitory orders, night curfew and suspension of mobile internet services in the affected areas continue to be in force," the official said.

He added that no fresh incident of violence has been reported over the last couple of days, even as the army, Rapid Action Force and CRPF were deployed in the area.

The worst-hit Kheroni area in the district houses people from Bihari, Bengali and Nepali communities apart from the Karbis.

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.

Meanwhile, a meeting between the state government, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and protestors is scheduled to take place in Guwahati on Friday.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and KAAC chief Tuliram Ronghang are scheduled to attend the meeting, an official said.

Agitators from the Karbi 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 the two districts -- Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong.

They went on a rampage on Monday after 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.

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 COR SSG SSG RG