Our Correspondent Diphu, Nov. 23 (EMN): Several Karbi Anglong civil organisations condemned the Mukrok firing incident in the Assam-Meghalaya border where six people were killed, including a forest guard, on Tuesday. In a joint press conference held at the District Press Club of Karbi Anglong office on Wednesday, Joint Action Committee for Autonomous State (JACAS) convener, Khorsing Teron, said, ‘We strongly condemn the vested interest group of people who provoked attack upon the forest and police personnel and demand a high-level proper investigation into the incident and deployment of more security personnel along the interstate border for the safety and security of government official and employees, protection of forest reserve and to maintain law and order.’ Teron also said, ‘We appeal to all sections of people — Karbi, Khasi, and Jaintia — living in the border area to maintain peace and communal harmony. We appreciate Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma
Altogether 1040 members of five militant outfits operating in undivided Karbi Anglong district in Assam laid down arms here on Tuesday evening, two days ahead of signing a peace accord in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah. Shah is scheduled to visit the poll-bound state on February 25.
This is the third major “mainstreaming” of rebels since 2020. Altogether 1,615 members from three National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) factions had laid down arms in January 2020, three days after the signing of the tripartite Bodo Accord. This was followed by laying down of arms by 64 rebels belonging to four outfits, the big catch being Ulfa(I)’s deputy commander-in-chief Drishti Rajkhowa.