Diphu: Violence continued to rock Karbi Anglong district for the fifth day on Sunday over the demand for a separate state with government offices and properties of political leaders torched and curfew reimposed after a relaxation of four hours.
Police said the office of the additional chief engineer of irrigation department and the Khadi Board office, equipment and machineries of public works department here besides a forest beat office at Amri, a land records office at Long-e-Kur, were set ablaze by agitators.
A teak plantation of Congress MP from Autonomous Hill districts Biren Singh Engti and a rubber plantation of a Karbi Autonomous Council Executive Member D Uffing Maslai were also set on fire. Engti’s rubber estate was earlier torched by protesters on Friday last.
Karbi Anglong district administration reimposed the curfew, on since Wednesday, after relaxing it between 8 am and 12 pm.
Activists of different organisations have been agitating for a separate state on the lines of Telangana. Meanwhile, the 100-hr hills district bandh in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, called by Hills State Democratic Party (HSDP) and scheduled to begin on Monday, has been deferred in view of the prevailing situation in Karbi Anglong.
HSDP spokesman Daniel Teron in a release appealed to all sections of the hill people to maintain peace and calm. An all-Party meeting, attended by representatives of the Congress, HSDP, NCP and BJP also appealed to the people to end violence and restore peace following which their demands would be discussed and resolved.
A delegation of AGP leaders, comprising MP Joseph Toppo and former ministers Utpal Bora and Atul Bora (Junior), held a meeting with local organisations here and appealed that violence be stopped and protesters press their demand in a democratic manner.
They also asked opposition parties to play a more proactive role in ending violence.
All party delegation to meet PM, Sonia and Shinde
An all-party delegation of members from Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to urge them to grant a separate state for Karbi Anglong.
“The will of the people in the ongoing agitation for a separate state in Karbi Anglong needs to be conveyed to the Centre. So it is essential that the elected representatives of the people in the district go to New Delhi to do the job,” spokesman of the delegation, Daniel Teron said on Sunday.
The delegation, which is scheduled to leave for the national capital Monday, would be led by KAAC Chief Executive Member Joyram Engleng.
It would include three elected members of Hills State Democratic Party (HSDP) and they would apprise the central leaders of the present situation in Karbi Anglong.
“In case the leaders fail to give an audience to the delegation and a positive response, only then there will bee need for further agitation,” Teron said.
It was for this reason that the 100-hour bandh called by HSDP and other organisations from Monday has been deferred.
“It is the need of the hour that forces who are associated with the demand for a separate state in Karbi Anglong remain united so that their demand can be carried forward peacefully and democratically,” he said. Teron also appealed to all sections of the people to maintain calm and restore peace in the area as there is a ‘plot’ to deflect the aim of the agitation and reduce it to a parties’ clash by burning party offices of Congress and HSDP.
The people should not react to such ‘provocation’, he added. (PTI)