Guwahati: Violence broke out in Assam’s Chirang district on Friday, April 17, following an eviction drive in the Runikhata area near the India–Bhutan border that led to a confrontation between forest personnel and Adivasi protesters.
Tension peaked at the Runikhata Forest Range Office when a protest organised by All Adivasi Students’ Association (AASAA) and All Santal Students’ Union (ASSU) escalated, and reports emerged that security personnel used gunfire to control the crowd.
The situation worsened further after protesters allegedly damaged forest department vehicles and attempted to set fire to the Range Office, leading to widespread chaos and continuing clashes.
One police personnel suffered injuries, while another was hurt in stone pelting. The unrest came after forest officials detained 25 people during an eviction action carried out late Thursday night, which led to locals, including women, gathering at the office demanding their release.
The confrontation intensified when authorities allegedly resorted to lathi charge to disperse the crowd. Several women were injured and taken to Kajalgaon for treatment, while stone pelting also damaged official vehicles near the police station area.
Serious accusations have since been raised by Adivasi groups, alleging that women who entered the forest office were subjected to physical assault. Leaders of ASSU claimed that a large number of women were attacked and said the eviction process was carried out without proper procedure or prior notice, demanding accountability and an inquiry.
Locals said those detained were being held without valid reason and alleged that women who went to negotiate their release were assaulted inside the office using force, adding that many families in the area do not possess land documents and continue to live on the same land.
Residents also pointed to long-standing displacement issues, saying many Adivasi families lost land due to river erosion and violence in the late 1990s, forcing them to settle in forest areas. Another local claimed that even children were beaten and that those detained had still not been released.
Additional allegations include claims that some officials misbehaved with women during the incident and that certain personnel appeared intoxicated at the time.
AASAA and ASSU have expressed concern over what they call uneven enforcement of eviction drives, pointing out that different communities living in the same forest area appear to have been treated differently.
The two groups have also said they will hold protests across the Bodoland Territorial Region, demanding accountability and action against those involved in the operation.
So far, officials have not issued a detailed statement on the incident, while the situation in the area remains tense.