OUR CORRESPONDENT
KOKRAJHAR: The Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Manch (BJSM) has expressed serious concern over anti-Karbi slogans raised by illegal encroachers, describing recent remarks calling Karbis "Chinese" and demanding they "go back" as a direct threat to the indigenous tribal communities. The BJSM has urged the Assam Government to take immediate action to evict illegal encroachers, not only from the Protected and Village Grazing Reserves (PGR and VGR) but also from the tribal belts and blocks of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).
In a statement, the Working President of BJSM, DD Narzary, and Secretary Jayanta Boro condemned the recent violent attack on indigenous Karbi people by non-indigenous elements in the Kherani area of West Karbi Anglong district. They voiced deep concern over the alarming slogans raised by the attackers, who branded indigenous Karbis as "Chinese" and demanded they leave the region. The BJSM leaders described these slogans as an assault on the dignity, identity, and existence of the Karbi people in their own homeland.
The BJSM has called for the immediate identification and arrest of those responsible for inciting hatred and violence against the indigenous Karbi community. The organization has also demanded strict legal action against the perpetrators. "It is deeply disturbing that indigenous people are being targeted and made to feel insecure in areas protected under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution," Narzary and Boro said. "The audacity of outsiders to question the identity and belonging of Karbi people highlights a complete failure of the administration to ensure security and uphold constitutional safeguards."
The BJSM strongly urged the Assam Government to immediately evict all encroachers, not only from VGR, PGR, and government Khas lands but also from tribal belts and blocks across Assam, including the BTC areas. The BJSM warned that failure to protect tribal land and continued tolerance of illegal encroachment would lead to the marginalization of indigenous communities, potentially resulting in their extinction in their own homeland. "Land is the core issue for tribal survival. If tribal land is not protected and restored, indigenous communities will face marginalization and potential extinction," the BJSM statement concluded.
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