Second round of talks with Karbi society deferred due to PM’s Assam visit: CM Sarma

Guwahati, Jan 17 (PTI) The second round of talks between the state government and Karbi society, in the aftermath of the recent violence between two communities in West Karbi Anglong district, has been postponed due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday.

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

A tripartite meeting involving the state government, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and protesters was held on December 26 to find a solution to the issue of clearing encroached lands, with the next round of talks scheduled for Saturday.

"The talks scheduled today between the Government and the Karbi Samaj have been deferred due to the historic visit of the Hon'ble Prime Minister Sri @narendramodi to Assam," Sarma said in a post on X.

He assured the members of Karbi society that their concerns are important to the Assam government.

"The talks will be rescheduled at the earliest, and we remain committed to resolving all issues through sincere dialogue, mutual respect, and understanding," the CM said.

After the last meeting, Sarma had said his government would move the Gauhati High Court for an early order on its previous stay on the eviction in grazing lands in West Karbi Anglong and Karbi Anglong districts.

He had also said that the KAAC, which had not filed its affidavit in the case for the past two years, would do so by January 5, while members of the Karbi community would submit a separate petition.

Agitators from the Karbi community staged a hunger strike for 15 days last month, demanding 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 December 22 after police took away three agitators from the protest site during the wee 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, as one person was killed in police firing and another was burnt alive inside his house, while more than 180 others, including 173 security personnel, were injured.

Army was deployed, and it conducted flag marches in violence-hit areas of West Karbi Anglong district in central Assam. PTI TR TR MNB