Tripartite Meeting Addresses Karbi Community Concerns in Assam
Key Developments from the Meeting
Guwahati, Dec 27: On Friday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma led a crucial tripartite meeting involving representatives from the Karbi community and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) in Dispur.
Following the discussions, the Chief Minister announced that the KAAC would promptly initiate the construction of fencing around 8,000 bighas of unoccupied VGR and PGR land in the Kheroni region.
Additionally, an afforestation initiative will be launched by the KAAC to prevent future encroachments.
“We engaged in a significant tripartite dialogue with representatives of the Karbi community, the State Government, and the KAAC regarding the recent unsettling events in Karbi Anglong. Several critical decisions were made during our meeting,” Sarma stated.
He also mentioned that the issue concerning the VGR and PGR land is currently under the scrutiny of the Gauhati High Court, and the KAAC has yet to submit an affidavit regarding this matter.
“As a result, the situation remains unresolved. It was agreed that the KAAC will file the affidavit by January 5, and representatives from the agitating Karbi community will also submit an affidavit,” he added.
Furthermore, the State Government plans to request the court to expedite its ruling on the previous stay regarding evictions on grazing lands, enabling necessary actions to be taken.
On December 25, Sarma had indicated that the Karbi community's demand for the immediate eviction of alleged encroachers from grazing lands could not be fulfilled due to the court's stay.
The meeting also concluded with a decision to relocate all government offices situated on VGR and PGR land in Kheroni. Additionally, all trade licenses issued for activities on this land will be revoked, and the KAAC will commence an eviction campaign to remove encroachments from departmental land in Karbi Anglong,” the Chief Minister explained.
Sarma further announced that the families of those who lost their lives in police firing during the recent unrest would receive government jobs and a compensation of ₹10 lakh.
“The next discussion on this matter is scheduled for January 17. We hope to have a decision from the high court by then. Many proposals from the KAAC are currently under review by the State Government, and we aim to address them soon,” Sarma noted.
He added, “The Assam Police will grant general amnesty for all cases registered during the recent unrest, except for the case related to the death of an individual who was allegedly burned to death.”
After the meeting, Karbi leader Litson Rongfar expressed that they would communicate the meeting's outcomes to the public in Karbi Anglong.
“The protests extend beyond just PGR and VGR issues; there are extensive areas of government land currently facing encroachment. Consequently, the Karbi community has become a minority in their own territory. We demand the eviction of encroachers from government land. Additionally, numerous other pressing issues remain to be discussed,” Rongfar stated.
He further claimed that had the KAAC submitted the affidavit sooner, the recent violence could have been avoided entirely.
Rongfar urged all tribal communities in Assam to unite in safeguarding the interests of the indigenous population of the State.