Protestors torch KACCchief’s ancestral residence

Protesters on Monday torched the ancestral residence of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) chief executive member Tuliram Ronghang amid ongoing agitation over the eviction of alleged “outsiders” from village grazing reserves (VGRs) and professional grazing reserves (PGRs) in Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district.
The violence erupted at Donkamokam, a Karbi-majority area, leaving at least three protesters injured. Ronghang’s house was gutted in the incident, though no one was injured as he was away at the time. For the past two weeks, a group of protesters had been staging a hunger strike at Kheroni, demanding eviction of alleged encroachers from protected grazing lands. Tensions escalated after police detained nine protesters on Sunday night. Enraged locals gathered at the hunger strike site on Monday morning, blocked roads and allegedly vandalised shops.
The protesters later marched to Donkamokam, about 26 km away, to demonstrate. Security personnel fired blank rounds to disperse the crowd, further aggravating the situation. Amid clashes, a section of protesters allegedly set fire to Ronghang’s residence.
Protesters claim large tracts of grazing reserves have been encroached upon by outsiders. Ronghang said he had not intervened as the matter was sub judice.
Additional forces were deployed, while prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS, 2023, were imposed in both districts to prevent further unrest.