GUWAHATI: Assam Revenue Minister Jogen Mohan on Friday defended a tribal council’s plan to evict about 10,000 people from areas designated as professional grazing reserves (PGR) and village grazing reserves (VGR).
The move by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) to evict 2,086 families of “illegal settlers” sparked unrest, leading to the injury of 11 persons and the arrest of 17 a week ago.
The genesis of the trouble is said to be a memorandum submitted by an organisation of the Hindi-speaking Nonia community in January, seeking the legalisation of the settlers on PGR and VGR lands in West Karbi Anglong district.