Normalcy has begun to return to violence-hit areas of Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district, with authorities reporting no fresh incidents over the past two days even as stringent security measures remain firmly in place. Officials said a critical tripartite meeting involving the state government, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and protest representatives is scheduled to be held in Guwahati on December 26 to address the underlying issues.
Prohibitory orders, a night curfew and the suspension of mobile internet services continue across the affected pockets as a precautionary measure following the unrest that earlier claimed two lives and left several others injured. Security deployment remains heavy, with personnel from the Army, Rapid Action Force and Central Reserve Police Force maintaining a strong presence on the ground to prevent any resurgence of violence. Officials said the situation is currently stable but restrictions have not been lifted to ensure continued calm.
The epicentre of the violence was Kheroni, a communally diverse area inhabited by Karbi, Bihari, Bengali and Nepali communities. The region has long witnessed simmering tensions between the indigenous Karbi population and Hindi-speaking settlers, rooted in allegations of encroachment on Village Grazing Reserve and Professional Grazing Reserve lands, which fall under protections for tribal areas.
According to officials, the unrest followed a 15-day hunger strike by Karbi groups demanding the eviction of alleged illegal settlers, whom they claim are largely from Bihar, from grazing reserve lands in Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts. Violence erupted after police removed three hunger strikers in the early hours of Monday, a step the administration later said was taken for medical reasons.
Kheroni saw its worst violence on Tuesday, when one person was killed during police firing and another was burnt alive inside his house. More than 70 people were injured in the clashes, including over 60 police personnel. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that while the demand for eviction has been noted, immediate action is not possible due to a stay order issued by the Gauhati High Court.
The upcoming meeting in Guwahati, which Chief Minister Sarma and Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council chief Tuliram Ronghang are expected to attend, is being viewed as a crucial step towards de-escalation and dialogue as the administration works to restore lasting peace in the troubled district.
