Protest against KAAC over tribal land allotment to corporates

The hill town of Diphu, headquarters of Karbi Anglong district in Assam, witnessed protesters on Wednesday as people marched against the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), accusing it of compromising tribal land rights in favour of corporate interests.

The demonstration, led by All Party Hills Leaders Conference (APHLC) president Jones Ingti Kathar, was joined by political groups, student activists, and ordinary residents who fear that Sixth Schedule protections are being systematically diluted.

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The protest march began at Birla and culminated outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner,

The anger was primarily directed at KAAC Chief Executive Member (CEM) Tuliram Ronghang and the BJP-led council.

Protesters alleged that prime tribal land—meant to be safeguarded under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution—was being handed over to private companies, endangering both the livelihood and the cultural identity of indigenous hill communities.

Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president Lurinjyoti Gogoi, who joined the protest, launched a scathing attack on the KAAC leadership.

He accused CEM Ronghang of colluding with corporate houses while neglecting the welfare of local people. “While Tuliram builds a lavish house worth two hundred crores, the tribal people of the hills are still forced to live in katcha houses,” Gogoi alleged, warning that corporate intrusion into tribal land would be resisted at all costs.

Gogoi also took aim at the BJP, accusing the party of betraying its election promise of implementing the Sixth Schedule in full. “Instead of protecting our constitutional rights, they are handing over our future to corporates,” he said.

Karbi Anglong, one of Assam’s largest hill districts, has a long history of agitation around autonomy and land rights. The district was brought under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution in 1952 to protect tribal land and governance.