Guwahati: The Assam government on Tuesday (December 23, 2025) suspended mobile interment services in Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts after fresh violence erupted during clashes between two groups over eviction-related demands, officials said.
At least eight people were injured as rival groups of protesters clashed in Kheroni, prompting the police to resort to lathi-charge and fire tear-gas shells to disperse the crowd.
The unrest, which began on Monday afternoon, flared up again on Tuesday evening, with visuals showing widespread arson in the market area. The exact extent of damage could not be immediately ascertained, as the situation remained tense till late evening.
In an official order, the Home and Political Department said internet services were being suspended “in the interest of maintaining public peace and tranquillity” and to prevent any further deterioration of the situation.
The order cited apprehensions that social media and internet services could be used to spread rumours and inflammatory messages, aggravating the unrest. The suspension will remain in force until further orders.
Assam Director General of Police (DGP) Harmeet Singh, who is present at the site, said the situation had turned volatile despite attempts at dialogue.
“I had myself gone to speak to the crowd directly. But now they are attacking the police from two sides. Around 38 policemen, including IPS officers, have been injured. They had earlier promised not to destroy shops, but instead dragged out gas cylinders and burst them. They are attacking with arrows and stones. There can be no resolution in this way,” he told reporters.
The tension in the two tribal-majority hill districts, which fall under the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), is linked to a hunger strike that had been underway for nearly two weeks at Phelangpi in West Karbi Anglong.
Nine individuals were fasting to demand eviction of alleged encroachments from Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) and Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) lands, a long-standing demand of Karbi tribal organisations. The issue involves families from Bihari and Nepali communities settled in the council area.
Unrest intensified after the hunger strikers were removed from the protest site on Monday, which the police said was done to provide them medical treatment in Guwahati. Although the situation appeared to ease briefly on Tuesday morning, violence resurfaced later in the day.
Cabinet Minister Ranoj Pegu visited the area on Tuesday and said the hunger strike had been called off following his intervention.
“I met members of the Karbi community at Kheroni Phelangpi, where they had been observing a fast unto death demanding, among other issues, eviction of encroachments in VGR and PGR land. Following my appeal, the agitators agreed to call off the hunger strike and consented to a tripartite discussion involving the KAAC and the Assam government. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will chair the discussion on December 26,” Pegu said. However, violence broke out again after his departure.
Despite prohibitory orders being in force, large numbers of people—including women and children whose shops were allegedly set ablaze on Monday—took to the streets to protest the violence.
At the same time, agitators pressing for eviction of alleged encroachers also gathered in the Kheroni market area, further escalating tensions.
Security forces have been deployed in strength, and the administration said it is closely monitoring the situation to prevent further escalation.