GUWAHATI, April 28 — Close on the heels of ethnic riots between Dimasa and Hmar communities in the districts of North Cachar Hills and Cachar, threat of another ethnic strife over the issue of granting Scheduled Tribe (Hills) status to the Bodos living in the hill districts is looming large in Karbi Anglong.
According to the Clause 8 of the Memorandum of Settlement signed between the Central and State Governments and Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT), the government would consider sympathetically the issue of granting ST(H) status to the Bodo Kacharis living in the Karbi Anglong and NC Hills Autonomous Council areas. But different political parties and organisations have vehemently opposed the decision and militant outfit United Peoples’ Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) has already called for an indefinite rail-cum-road blockade. The militants also fired at a passenger train last night, in which three persons were injured.
Talking to The Assam Tribune over phone from Diphu, the Karbi Anglong Superintendent of Police, Sri A Quddus admitted that possibility of ethnic flare-up in the district cannot be ruled out. He revealed that the police and the security forces are gearing up to prevent ethnic violence and Army has been alerted to move into the district to tackle the situation whenever necessacy. “We shall take stern action to check ethnic flare-up,” he asserted.
The SP said that Karbi Anglong district has Bodo population mainly in the Longhin area and seven pockets in the Borthol area under Baithalangshu police station. He revealed that vulnerable pockets have been identified and patrolling by police and Central Reserve Police Force has been intensified. Inter-community peace committees have also been formed in the vulnerable areas. However, he admitted that it would be difficult to post permanent police pickets in all the vulnerable areas due to shortage of force. The strength of the police force in the district covering an area of 10,434 square kilometres, has not been increased for decades, while the difficult terrain also severely hampers movement of force in the trouble-torn district.
Commenting on the rail-cum-road blockade by the UPDS, Sri Quddus said that vehicles are passing through National Highway 39 in convoys with police escort, while, the volume of traffic on the National Highway 36 has come down due to the damage of a bridge. He said that the district may face shortage of essential commodities like food stuff, LPG, petrol, etc if the blockade continues for a long time. He also admitted that private vehicles are off the roads in the district.
Sri Quddus said that train services have not been disrupted. The Director General of Police has sent additional forces to protect the trains passing through the district and so far, train services have not been affected. Commenting on the reports of extortion drive by the militants in the district, the Karbi Anglong SP said that both the pro-talk and anti-talk factions of the UPDS are trying to extort money and several pro-take faction members as well as DHD militants have been arrested in recent months on extortion charges. He also said that some miscreants are also indulging in extortions in the name of militants.
Meanwhile, highly placed official sources told this correspondent that the Karbi organisations should not oppose the decision to include the Bodos living in the hill district in the list of Scheduled Tribes as the Karbi Anglong Autonomous district council had twice recommended the same and the recommendation was sent to the Centre by the State Government. Sources pointed out that the Karbis should not be apprehensive of fresh migration of Bodos to the hill district to enjoy the benefits of the ST(H) tribe as only the Bodos settled in Karbi Anglong on the date of signing of the Accord and those who have permanent resident certificates issued by the distinct council would get the ST (H) status.