Karbi Anglong violence: How arson, rioting and settler tensions erupted in Assam’s sixth schedule district

The situation reportedly turned violent on Monday morning following the detention of a few protesters by police (Representative Image)

• Violence in Assam's Kheroni market left two dead and forced families to flee
• Clashes erupted over land disputes between Karbi locals and non-Karbi settlers
• Police investigations ongoing; 60 officers injured during the unrest

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By Wednesday morning, the Kheroni daily market in West Karbi Anglong of Assam looked nothing like a trading hub. According to The Indian Express, trucks lined the roads as Bihari and Bengali families packed whatever little survived the previous day’s destruction. Shops lay smashed, homes reduced to ash, and people prepared to leave the area they had lived in for decades.

Under the remains of her house near the market, Mahima Dey stood amid still-smouldering debris. Recounting the violence, she said, “There were so many police people stationed here after what happened on Monday, but there was no point to any of it. Everything happened right in front of them. Our house was burned, and we jumped into the river to save ourselves. We spent the night watching everything from the other side of the river. This morning, we found that nothing had been spared. Our house, our motorbike, our two shops in the market.”

An Army column moved through the market and surrounding villages the same day, as fear continued to grip both Karbi and non-Karbi settlements, the report said.

Deaths amid escalation

The violence over Monday and Tuesday claimed two lives. Suraj Dey, a disabled Bengali resident of the market, died when his house was set on fire. Athik Timung, allegedly part of a Karbi mob, died following clashes with the police.

Suraj Dey’s family said they had no warning of what was to come. “My uncle went to try and help him, but the roof had already collapsed,” said his cousin Sumit Dey (20). “We were just not prepared for this kind of violence. We thought the fight was with people on the other side of the river.”

The “other side” is a recurring reference in Kheroni -- one that reflects how geography has come to mirror social division.

The river that divides

The Kopili River runs alongside the Kheroni daily market, with a bridge connecting it to villages across the bank. Over time, the river and bridge have come to symbolise tension between Karbi residents and non-Karbi settlers -- primarily Biharis, Bengali-Hindus and Nepalis.

Karbi organisations allege that settlers have encroached upon reserved Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) and Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) land. Demands for eviction intensified after a January 2024 memorandum submitted by the Rachnatmak Nonia Sanyukta Sangh to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking legalisation of settlements established before 2011.

That move triggered widespread protests across Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong, tribal-majority districts governed under the Sixth Schedule, which provides special protections over land and governance.

Protests to confrontation

Tensions deepened after clashes last year in Kheroni Chariali, during which Karbi youths were injured in a fight with Bihari residents. In response, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang announced plans to evict over 2,000 families labelled as illegal encroachers.

Residents say daily life became increasingly hostile. “Since then, things have been tense and hostile. Soon after that, the administration terminated the services of 10 sarkari gaonburahs (village headmen) for supposedly helping us settle here. Getting any kind of government documents has become difficult. It has been building up. So, to safeguard ourselves, we went to the High Court,” said Sanjay Bhagat according to The Indian Express, who filed a petition on behalf of 22 families claiming a 60-year presence in the area.

Courts granted interim stays, and more families approached the judiciary, arguing the land was not PGR or VGR. Evictions stalled amid ongoing litigation.

Hunger strike and the spark

Earlier this month, nine people began a hunger strike in Phelangpi village, around 3 km from the market, demanding evictions. The turning point came when police removed the protesters in the early hours of Monday, later stating they were taken to Guwahati for medical examination.

Rumours that the protesters had been arrested spread quickly. Soon after, Ronghang’s ancestral home in Donkamokam was torched, stones were hurled, and shops across the river were attacked. By Tuesday afternoon, violence reached the market, leading to arson and clashes with police.

“The issue was supposed to be with encroachment on PGR/VGR lands, but then it took a communal turn when they started attacking the people on this side as well,” said Shankar Nath, an Assamese resident of nearby Matikhola village, as per the report. “They specifically attacked shops belonging to Bengalis and Biharis. Now my family is also feeling scared and is talking about leaving for a while," he added.

Anger, anxiety and aftermath

Litsong Rongphar, who led the hunger strike, denied responsibility for the violence but acknowledged deep-rooted resentment. “This is supposed to be a protected sixth schedule area, but we are becoming minorities here because of continuous settling. Our main demand is the security of our land,” he said, adding that neglect of their demands fuelled the outburst.

Karbi villagers themselves expressed shock. “The protest in Phelangpi was supposed to be peaceful,” said Bisyasing Rongphar (35) from Jengkha village. “But for the next few days, we saw youths moving through our village to go towards the market and the bridge, ready to fight.”

Police said investigations are underway. “We have a lot of video footage, and people are being identified. Legal action will be taken as required,” said DGP Harmeet Singh, noting that 60 police personnel were injured during the clashes.