A CORRESPONDENT
KHERONI: A powerful wave of dissent surged through the streets of Diphu, the headquarters of Karbi Anglong District, as hundreds rallied against what they termed a ‘Corporate Invasion’ of their land. The joint protest, spearheaded by leaders and supporters of the All Party Hills Leaders Conference (APHLC), alongside the National People’s Party (NPP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation - CPI-ML (Hills Party Committee - HPC), took aim at multiple projects tied to industrial giants Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, as well as other corporate entities.
The rally kicked off at Sarada Playground (Birla Gate) and marched to the District Commissioner’s Office, targeting the proposed 100MW Solar Power project, the Sainik School in Langvoku, Ambani’s forthcoming Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) project, the shutdown of the Cement Corporation of India in Bokajan, and the Karbi Langpi Hydro Electric Project (KLHEP) in Amtreng. Protesters lambasted the BJP-led government, accusing it of favouring corporate agendas over the rights and well-being of Karbi Anglong’s indigenous communities, protected under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
With slogans echoing through the streets and banners held high, participants decried the allocation of vast swathes of land to India’s top conglomerates, including those linked to Ambani and Adani. They warned that these initiatives threaten to uproot residents, devastate livelihoods, and harm the region’s fragile ecosystem. “The Solar Power project alone demands thousands of bighas of fertile land, while the Sainik School and CBG projects encroach further on tribal territories,” one organizer passionately stated.
At the District Commissioner’s Office, the coalition submitted a memorandum demanding an immediate stop to the land allocation and a thorough assessment of the projects’ impact on the local population. “This isn’t progress - it’s exploitation,” declared JI Kathar, a prominent voice in the protest, underscoring the urgent need to safeguard Karbi Anglong’s tribal heritage and autonomy.
The demonstration signals a sharp escalation in the simmering conflict between the region’s communities and the government, which has been aggressively promoting industrial and infrastructural growth. The united stance of APHLC, NPP, and CPI-ML (HPC) highlights a growing resistance to what they describe as a corporate-driven assault on the constitutional protections of the Sixth Schedule.
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