Central Assam’s Karbi Anglong district has witnessed days of intense unrest, with violence reaching alarming levels and directly targeting law enforcement agencies. Police personnel came under attack from mobs using stones, arrows and crude bombs, while shops and homes were torched in multiple locations. Among the properties set ablaze was the residence of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council chief and BJP leader Tuliram Ronghang, underscoring the scale and seriousness of the flare-up.
The violence, rooted in a long-standing land dispute between tribal and non-tribal communities, has so far claimed two lives and left at least 45 people injured, including 38 police personnel. The deteriorating situation forced the Assam government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, to suspend mobile internet services and deploy heavy security forces across the district to prevent further escalation.
By Wednesday, officials said the situation remained tense but largely under control, with no fresh incidents reported. Additional security personnel continued to be stationed in sensitive areas, while prohibitory orders stayed in place to restrict movement and prevent gatherings that could reignite violence.
The clashes were particularly severe in the Kheroni area of West Karbi Anglong, where protesters reportedly rained stones, arrows and crude bombs on police teams. Several officers, including senior IPS officials and even the state’s Director General of Police, sustained injuries during the attacks. Marketplaces were vandalised, gas cylinders were dragged out and exploded, and large fires broke out, leaving behind widespread destruction.
Two deaths were confirmed during the violence. One victim was a man from the Karbi community who died during police action, while the other was a Bengali man, Suresh Dey, who was killed in an arson attack at the Kheroni market. According to local reports, Dey, who was disabled, was trapped inside a building that was set on fire and died after being unable to escape.
The immediate trigger for the violence was police action against tribal hunger strikers who had been protesting alleged encroachment on protected tribal land. Indigenous Karbi groups and other tribal organisations had been holding an indefinite hunger strike for more than two weeks in the Phelangpi area of Kheroni, demanding the eviction of settlers from Village Grazing Reserves and Professional Grazing Reserves.
Tensions escalated sharply after nine hunger strikers were detained late Sunday night. Police said the detainees were being shifted to Guwahati for medical treatment, citing deteriorating health conditions. However, as news of the detentions spread on Tuesday, anger rapidly mounted among tribal villagers, leading to road blockades, vandalism and, eventually, large-scale violence.
The unrest intensified further when protesters set fire to the residence of KAAC Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang at Donkamokam, located about 26 kilometres from Kheroni and also part of his constituency. Police attempted to disperse crowds using blank firing, tear gas and rubber bullets, but clashes continued to spread across Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts.
In response, the Assam government suspended mobile internet and data services in both districts, warning that social media could be used to spread misinformation and inflame tensions. The Home Department cited a serious likelihood of breaches of public peace and tranquillity as the reason for the shutdown.
At the core of the conflict lies Karbi Anglong’s status as a Sixth Schedule district under the Constitution, which grants special protections for tribal land and a degree of self-governance through autonomous councils. These provisions are designed to safeguard indigenous communities’ rights over land, culture and local administration.
Protesters allege that large stretches of grazing reserve land, meant exclusively for indigenous use, have been illegally occupied by non-tribals, including people from outside Assam. Tribal organisations argue that continued encroachment threatens their land rights, cultural identity and livelihoods.
Last year, the KAAC administration issued eviction notices to alleged settlers, but these were challenged in the Gauhati High Court, which granted an interim stay. This legal pause left the issue unresolved, allowing tensions to simmer and eventually explode.
Karbi Anglong’s demographic composition, constitutional protections under the Sixth Schedule and unresolved land disputes have long made it vulnerable to such flashpoints. With tribal communities forming a majority of the population, land and identity remain deeply sensitive issues, and any perceived state action or inaction can quickly turn volatile.
While relative calm has returned to parts of the district for now, recent events have highlighted the fragility of peace in Karbi Anglong. Without a durable resolution to land disputes and sustained efforts to rebuild trust between communities, officials and residents alike fear that the region may remain prone to future unrest.
