Thousands of Karbi protesters demanding for separate statehood leads to imposed curfew in Diphu and Dongkamukam area of Karbi Anglong. The angry protesters rampaged several government offices, government transports and vehicles set on fire. Protesters removed railway tracks and hampered the train services in the state.
In order to subdue the
protesters police fired several rounds of live bullets where around 20 people received
bullet injuries, and one Rajiv Singnar was battered and shot dead point-blank
from behind on July 31, 2013. He was buried at the Diphu Baptist Church burial
ground on August 2, 2013. Another student Gautam Timung was also killed in a
firing by the security personnel on August 1. The army staged a flag
march at the affected places. 20
companies of the Army have been deployed, and shoot at sight orders were given
in the affected area.
Reasons leading to rampaged:
The
State Re-organization Act of 1969 gave all the regions of North East India a
Separate State status. The twin hill districts Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao
(previously known as N.C. Hills) opted to remain in Assam on being promised all
round of development. However, with the passage of time, the Hill Areas of
Assam have been discriminated on all fronts of governance. The MoU (Memorandum
of Understanding) signed on the 1st of April 1995 with the Government of India,
the State Government and organizations representing the people of Karbi Anglong
and Dima Hasao has not been adequate to protect the identity, culture,
tradition and language to fulfill their social, economic and political
aspirations. The MoU was not implemented in letter and spirit till now.
The Karbis have been
demanding a separate hill state since the 1960s. It took momentum in the 1980s
again. The Constitution of India had already provided for the creation of a
state for the Karbi people under Article 244(A). But it was not implemented by
the Indian government.
Centre ruled out that there is no provision for
creating new states, and the Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) was signed by the Government of India
with the UPDS (Extremist Group) in November 2011. The MoS was also not implemented in letter and spirit
till now. However, the Government later created a new
states like Jarkhand, Chattisgarh and
Uttaranchal. Again on 30th of July 2013, the Congress Working Committee gave its
approval for creation of a Separate State for the people of Telangana without
specific constitutional provision. As a consequence of all these reasons, the
people of Karbi Anglong expressed their anguish after a long democratic
movement and resorted to even violent activities also.
Prayer Request :
1. Pray for the ongoing situation in Karbi Anglong
so that peace and tranquility be restored as soon as possible.
2. Pray for the creation of separate state for the
people of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao.