In a move that has sparked tensions between the Karbi tribe and Hindi-speaking communities in Assam's Karbi Anglong areas, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) has served eviction notices to approximately 10,000 people accused of illegally settling on reserved grazing lands in the Sixth Scheduled districts of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong.
At the centre of contention are the Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) and Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) lands, covering 7,184.7 acres. While the Karbi community calls for the eviction of illegal settlers from PGR and VGR lands to safeguard their lands and identity, Hindi-speaking communities demand the de-reservation of these grazing lands that will allow them to own legal titles.
The Hindi-speaking communities in Karbi Anglong primarily comprise the Nonias, a predominantly farming community from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
On 17 January 2024, Rachnatmak Nonia Sanyukta Sangh (RNSS), an RSS-backed organisation representing the Hindi-speaking community, submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu requesting the legalisation of their settlements on these grazing reserves.
Dharmendra Chauhan, national joint secretary of RNSS, told the media, "Our people have been in possession of PGR and VGR land for many decades."
The memorandum incited protests from Karbi students and civil society organisations such as the Karbi Students' Association, Karbi Nimso Chingthur Asong, and Autonomous State Demand Committee Youth Front, demanding the eviction of illegal encroachers from PGR and VGR lands in Hawaipur (West Karbi Anglong district) and Phuloni (Karbi Anglong district). They view the settlers as illegal occupants threatening Karbi lands and identity.
"No one has been legally allotted land on these grazing lands, but settlers have been living there illegally. This is a Sixth Schedule land, and we have our own separate land rights. It is not a recent issue, but it has been going on for about a decade now," Karbi Students Association president Mirjeng Kro told The Indian Express.
On 15 February 2024, protests turned violent as members of the Hindi-speaking community allegedly assaulted some Karbi protesters. The scuffle, which triggered a near-shutdown in major towns, reportedly resulted in injuries to 11 persons and the arrest of 17 people.
Chandra Kanta Terang, President of the Autonomous State Demand Committee, was quoted as saying, "The Karbis were beaten up in their own home while trying to protect our ancestral land from outsiders."
In response to the protests, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), headed by Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang, announced plans for eviction on 20 February 2024.
The KAAC draws its authority from the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which grants them decision-making rights within their jurisdiction.
The KAAC has defended its decision to evict by citing a controversial 2011 Supreme Court order directing the public authorities to evict illegal occupants from grazing lands and restore them for public use.
Affected residents, who claim to have lived on the land for decades, expressed shock at the eviction notices despite prior assurances from the BJP state government. They possess documents proving residency; some are even included in the National Register of Citizens.
While the Assam government approved de-reservation proposals for other districts in 2023, the demand for "de-reservation" appears problematic due to Karbi Anglong's designation as an autonomous area, granted under the Sixth Schedule in 1976.
The situation is also linked with the political dynamics in Assam. While the ruling party BJP electoral support from both Karbi and Nonia communities, tribal communities of Assam reportedly remain wary of the party's stance toward Hindi-speaking community settled in the area.
Noting the rising population of Hindi speakers in Assam over the past decade, Holiram Terang, a veteran Karbi political figure, alleged: "After the BJP government came to power in Centre and state, some of these people have become very aggressive, socially and culturally. I won't be surprised if the RSS is pushing them to demand land rights."
Amid the threat of eviction looming over 2,086 families, the KAAC remains firm on its decision, declaring that the eviction targets all illegal encroachers, regardless of ethnic identity as per the Supreme Court's order.
"We will not differentiate between any community. There are Karbis, Boros, Tiwas, Biharis, Bengalis, Nepalis – all kinds of communities are encroaching on these lands, and we will do the evictions as per the SC order," Ronghang stated.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for legal recognition of land rights
Complaint against procedural violations
Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
Non-Forest (Grazing Land)
What was the action taken by the police?
Arrest
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
17
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Currently under arrest
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Indian Penal Code
Sections 341/147/143/294/120B/153A and 325/307/506/427
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Residential area, Grazing, Religious/Sacred/Cultural value
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
No
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Lack of legal protection over land rights
Non-consultation with stakeholders
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
No
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Physical attack
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Members of the Hindi-speaking community allegedly assaulted some Karbi protesters resulting in injuries to 11 persons.
Date of Violation
February 14, 2024
Location of Violation
Kheroni
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council; District Administration of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong; Revenue & Disaster Management Department, Assam
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Rachnatmak Nonia Sanyukta Sangh, Karbi Students' Association, Karbi Nimso Chingthur Asong, Autonomous State Demand Committee Youth Front
What was the action taken by the police?
Arrest
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
17
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Currently under arrest
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Indian Penal Code
Sections 341/147/143/294/120B/153A and 325/307/506/427
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Sarup is a researcher and doctoral student in Political Science at the North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong. His research interests lie in the area of ethnic and land conflicts, political ecology and development and urban spaces of Northeast India. He has a Masters’ degree in Development Studies from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. He has previously done research/internships with NABARD, Oxford Microfinance Initiative (renamed Oxford Development Consultancy) and CSDS (Lokniti Programme).
