Opposition parties in Assam will meet the Governor on December 31 to seek justice, compensation, and a probe into the West Karbi Anglong violence that killed two people and injured several others.
Opposition demands enquiry on Karbi Anglong violence
Following an on-the-spot inquiry into the violent incidents that occurred in West Karbi Anglong district, a delegation of opposition political parties in Assam will meet the Governor on Wednesday, December 31, and submit a memorandum. This was informed today by the Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia.
Saikia stated that the Governor’s appointment has been sought for 4 PM tomorrow and alleged that the government has failed to control the law and order situation, as a result of which two persons lost their lives in Kheroni and several others were injured. He said that demands will be raised for providing compensation as per rules to the families of the deceased and injured, and for conducting an inquiry into the losses caused by the violent incidents and extending relief to the affected persons.
It may be mentioned that the joint delegation included Congress MLAs Shivamani Bora, Bhaskar Baruah, Diganta Barman, Wajed Ali Choudhury, Nurul Huda, Rashid Mandal, Rakibuddin Ahmed, Pradip Sarkar; CPI(M) MLA Manoranjan Talukdar; Raijor Dal MLAs Akhil Gogoi; senior AJP leader Jagadish Bhuyan; senior Congress leaders Pradyut Bhuyan, Ghana Chetia, Nasir Khan, Raman Jha, Suman Kalyan Bora; West Karbi Anglong District Congress President Augustine Inghi; senior Congress spokesperson Rupak Das; Cherisma Rongpipi; Raijor Dal leader Russell Hussain; and CPI(ML) leader Bibek Das.
After the visit, the joint delegation alleged that there was a political conspiracy behind the incident. The opposition parties stated that the policy of “divide and rule” was being pursued by creating divisions between hills and plains and among different communities and tribes solely for vote-bank interests.
Meanwhile, interacting with the media, members of the joint delegation said that while the BJP demands President’s Rule over even minor incidents in West Bengal, it has not taken any concrete steps despite Assam being engulfed in violence. They alleged that the government led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council have completely failed to handle the situation.
Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia further stated that widespread irregularities and rampant corruption by the Chief Executive Member of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, Tuliram Ronghang, have led to an anarchic situation in the district. He added that the PGR–VGR land issue must be examined in detail while carrying out evictions, and that the incident of arson at Tuliram Ronghang’s residence, as well as the subsequent demolition of the house by bulldozers by members of Ronghang’s family, should also be brought under the purview of the investigation.
Meanwhile, the Assam government convened a crucial tripartite meeting in Guwahati on December 26, to address the violent situation in West Karbi Anglong and resolve long-pending disputes over Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) and Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) lands. he Assam government has decided to move the Gauhati High Court on January 5 seeking clarity on eviction-related issues linked to alleged encroachments on Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) and Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) land in West Karbi Anglong district.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the decision on Friday evening following a tripartite meeting held after days of unrest in the district.
The meeting, convened at the Chief Minister’s Office in Guwahati, involved representatives of the state government, protest leaders from West Karbi Anglong and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC). It aimed to defuse tensions that had escalated into violence over the sensitive land issue.
