The violence in Karbi Anglong district of Assam continues unabated. On the worst ever day of violence 36 people were killed on October 17. The toll has crossed more than 100 in the vicious cycle of violence that started on September 26. Many are missing. Thousands of people have been injured. Several thousand houses have been burnt. Tens of thousands of people have taken refuge in relief camps. Most of the affected people are innocents. The administration has imposed curfew, issued shoot-at-sight orders, army has been deployed heavily. Yet the administration has failed miserably to curb violence.
| CPI (ML)'s Memorandum to the President on the Karbi Issue [Abridged] To Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Hon'ble President of India Rashtrapati Bhawan New Delhi Dear Sir, The ongoing killings in Karbi Anglong reflect a total failure of the government's policy regarding this region. Instead of offering a political solution to the people's long-standing aspiration for an autonomous state as promised under Article 244A of the India Constitution, the central and state governments, both of which are currently led by the Congress, have only adopted a divide-and-rule policy and dilatory tactics. In the absence of any serious and sincere political initiative on the part of the governments in Delhi and Dispur, the cease-fire arrangement has completely broken down leading to the current spate of clashes between the DHD and UPDS and large-scale killings and human suffering. We therefore urge you act immediately to stop the killings and save innocent Karbi lives. Urgent steps must be taken to review and revamp the ceasefire mechanism and hasten the process of a political solution. Camps designated for the DHD must immediately be shifted from Karbi Anglong and all the affected and terrorised people must be rehabilitated on war-footing. All through the 1990s, the hill districts of Assam remained a unique zone of peace where people belong to the Karbi, Dimasa and a host of other communities fought unitedly and democratically to secure their constitutional claim for an Autonomous State under Article 244A. Successive central and state governments however only turned a deaf year to this peaceful, democratic and just demand of the people, thereby encouraging armed insurgency in the region. And now in the name of ceasefire arrangement, the government policy is only destabilising the region and jeopardizing the very existence of the people and their glorious social and cultural fabric. The UPA government at the Centre and the Congress government in Assam must immediately reverse this dangerous policy and stop playing with the lives of the innocent tribal people of Karbi Anglong and NC Hills. Awaiting urgent action, Yours truly,
(Dipankar Bhattacharya) General Secretary CPI(ML)(Liberation) |
This is not 'ethnic violence' as being portrayed by the administration and the media. Rather, this is engineered violence. Two armed militant groups United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) and Dima Halom Daggah (DHD), which enjoy the patronage of the Assam government and the Union government, are behind this violence. The governments have entered into ceasefire agreement with these groups - four years back with the UPDS and one-and-a-half year back with the DHD. But the ceasefire has totally broken down. Designated camps have been established for these groups to stay. But they are moving outside the designated camps freely and killing innocent people with impunity. The situation has been further complicated by the rivalry between the pro-talk factions and anti-talk factions of these militant groups. There is a ceasefire monitering committee comprising senior Union Home Ministry officials and officials from the Assam government. The committee has utterly failed to act against ceasefire violations.
In the face of continuing violence, the Union government, absolutely clueless as to how to bring about peace and normalcy in the Karbi Hills, blindly asked the Assam State government to use greater force to quell the violence. But abject political failure of the Central and State governments is at the root of the present crisis. The ceasefire has clearly failed. The political process has failed. The Centre is reaping the seeds of its own divide and rule tactic which has boomeranged in a violent manner.
The CPI(ML) has called for the resignation of Tarun Gogoi Government in Assam and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous District Council CEM Khorsing Ingti. CPI-ML leader and former MP from Karbi Anglong, Dr Jayanta Rongpi said that it was an utter failure on the part of the State Government led by Tarun Gogoi to protect the life and property of the people of Karbi Anglong, and as such it had no right to remain in power. The CPI(ML) has also demanded immediate and adequate rehabilitation to the affected people. In Delhi , the CPI(ML) organized a demonstration on October 20, to protest the killings. CPI(ML) called for an all-party meeting on 19th Oct. It was attended by CPI (National Council Member Pramod Gogoi and 2 others), CPI(M) (CC member and ex-State Secretary Hemen Das, CCM Murul Huda, State Secretary Udhav Barman and others), AGP(P) ( ex-Chief Minister Prafulla Kr. Mahanta, ex-speaker Ganesh Kutum etc), SUCI (state members Chandralekha Das, Vimal Nandi & Ajit Acharya), UDF(3 State leaders), UMF (one state leader) and RSP (one state member). The meeting condemned the role of the Tarun Gogoi Government and opined that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has no moral right to continue Chief Ministership. The meeting resolved to send an all-party team to Karbi Anglong on 22nd Oct. The meeting also decided to extend support to the bandh called by the AGP (P) on 20 October. CPI(ML) conducted dharnas on the issue at Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Jorhat on 21 October and in other places like Bargang on 22 nd October.