Guwahati: Indigenous People’s Party (IPP) president Rajen Timung has raised a serious alarm over what he described as a “sinister corporate-backed land grab” in Assam’s Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, allegedly orchestrated by Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang and North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) CEM Debolal Garlosa.
In a hard-hitting statement on Sunday, Timung accused the Assam Chief Minister and corporate lobbies of influencing the two tribal leaders, who, he said, betrayed the very communities they are constitutionally mandated to protect.
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“Their actions are a blatant violation of the Sixth Schedule, which safeguards tribal rights. By opening our ancestral lands to companies like Adani, Ambani, Greenco Engineering, APDCL, and Mahabal Cement, they are inviting displacement, identity loss, and ecological destruction,” Timung warned.
He alleged that unchecked corporate exploitation could uproot thousands of indigenous families and destroy rich biodiversity.
“Our land and forests are inseparable from our cultural and spiritual life. Losing them means losing ourselves,” he said.
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Timung also revealed that his activism triggered retaliation. On July 30, 2025, unknown assailants opened fire on his residence and vandalised his car—an attack he linked to his petition before the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST). He further disclosed that his complaint to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) led the bank to withdraw loans approved for the Assam Solar Plant project at Lahorijan, a Sixth Schedule area.
Calling for mass resistance, Timung urged indigenous people to rise above short-term financial temptations and defend their heritage. “Tuliram and Debolal have chosen corporate interests over their people. We must stand united to protect our lands, forests, and cultural identity. This is not just a fight for today, but for generations to come,” he asserted.
The IPP leader stressed that he would continue raising his voice despite threats and vowed to resist any surrender of ancestral lands.