Guwahati Oct 7: Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) Chief Executive Member (CEM) Tuliram Ronghang on Monday said that authorities would take action to deport any illegal migrants, particularly those entering Karbi Anglong from riot-affected Manipur.
This statement followed a demand from the Karbi Lammet Amei (KLA), a local literary body, which called on the Assam government and the KAAC to deport all Kukis who moved to Karbi Anglong after the ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023.
Ronghang emphasized that he has directed the Land and Revenue and Forest departments to investigate any possible illegal entries into Karbi Anglong. “If such entries are identified, the KAAC would have the authority to deport the individuals involved,” Ronghang told reporters at his official residence in diphu on Monday.
“Karbi Lammet Amei (KLA) submitted a memorandum accusing Kuki individuals from Manipur of illegally settling in areas of Karbi Anglong, specifically in Singhason and Khonbamon hills under Singhason, Borjan, Surupathar, and Dhansiri MAC constituencies. I already directed the Land & Revenue and Forest departments to collaborate with local village headmen (rong asar) to investigate the allegations and identify any suspected illegal migrants, including people from Bangladesh and the Kuki community from Manipur,” the CEM said.
Ronghang made it clear that if illegal entries are confirmed, the KAAC has already decided to deport such individuals.
The CEM revealed that during the ethnic violence in Manipur last year, over 1,000 members of the Kuki community sought refuge in Karbi Anglong, particularly in the Borjan and Singhason MAC constituencies. In response, the KAAC engaged the Hill People Cultural Forum (HPCF), a socio-cultural organization representing various ethnic tribes, to address the issue. The HPCF assisted in visiting the areas where the displaced Kuki community had settled.
With the cooperation of the HPCF, the KAAC peacefully facilitated the deportation of the Kuki refugees back to their home state, arranging 20 buses to transport them.
Ronghang also urged local villagers to support the KAAC by providing information about any suspected outsiders settling in their areas. Such information, gathered by village headmen (rong asar) and local residents, can be reported to the KAAC’s Land & Revenue department for further action.
