GUWAHATI: A move by Assam's Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) to evict about 10,000 people from some 'professional grazing reserves' (PGR) and 'village grazing reserves' (VGR) has sparked off tension.
The KAAC, which administers Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts, claimed the people from 2,086 families are "illegal settlers".
An organisation from a Hindi-speaking community had submitted a memorandum to the authorities in January demanding that the people settled on PGR and VGR lands in West Karbi Anglong district be legalized. This, however, triggered a protest.
The members of Karbi Students' Association and Autonomous State Demand Committee Youth Front staged the protest on February 15 demanding the eviction of the settlers from the VGR and the PGR lands in the two districts. Some people were injured when clashes broke out during the protest.
The Congress on Friday raised the issue in the Assembly during the budget session. Party leader Debabrata Saikia said the residents were facing an uncertain future despite possessing documents which proved their residency since 1940. He said their names were also included in the National Register of Citizens or NRC.
However, the state's revenue minister Jogen Mohan defended the KAAC’s move. He told the Assembly that the tribal council's decision is aimed at clearing alleged illegal settlements.
Tuliram Ronghang, the chief executive member of KAAC, said the decision was "in line with a Supreme Court order" and the Karbi Anglong (Land & Revenue) Act of 1953.
Last year, he and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had assured the residents of two areas that they would not be evicted.
