GUWAHATI, Dec. 31: A joint delegation of Opposition parties submitted a memorandum to Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya here on Wednesday, demanding immediate relief for the affected residents, compensation for families of the deceased and statutory relief for those injured in the recent violence at Kheroni in West Karbi Anglong.
Two persons, Linus Fangchou and Suraj Dey, died while several others were injured in the violence.
The delegation, which visited Kheroni on Tuesday for a ground-level assessment, apprised the Governor of the condition of residents rendered homeless, owing to arson in the Kheroni market area, and who are currently suffering in severe cold with acute shortage of drinking water.
Highlighting the failure of the Assam government to provide even minimum relief, the delegation underscored the need for ensuring the safety and security of citizens, which they said was the primary responsibility of the state government.
The delegation, led by Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia, included CPI(M) MLA Manoranjan Talukdar; Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi; Congress MLAs Wajed Ali Choudhury, Rashid Mandal and Rekibuddin Ahmed, along with Assam Jatiya Parishad general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan and All-Party Hills Leaders Conference (APHLC) leader John Ingti Kathar, among others.
Leader of the Opposition Saikia also described as mysterious the manner in which peaceful hunger strikers of the Karbi Students’ Association, who had been fasting for 10 to12 days, were taken to Gauhati Medical College around 3am under the pretext of health check-ups.
He questioned why, despite the presence of medical colleges in Diphu and Nagaon, the student leaders were brought to Guwahati in the early hours of December 21, even before the talks, scheduled on December 22.
The memorandum also made special mention of people allegedly staying illegally in PGR and VGR areas.
Saikia alleged that the state government has failed to protect the rights of Sixth Schedule tribal communities as mandated by the Indian Constitution and has also failed to safeguard Clauses 5 and 6 of the Assam Accord, and demanded appropriate action.
The Opposition leaders also demanded an investigation into various allegations of corruption against Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) CEM Tuliram Ronghang.
The delegation further informed the Governor that an inquiry was necessary into why and by whom a bulldozer was used to demolish the residence of Ronghang, which had been affected by arson during the violence.
APHLC leader Kathar expressed suspicion about the presence of illegal arms in the house and demanded a high-level judicial inquiry, along with examination by a forensic team.
