Karbi village empties out, Army called in

Five more villages have been set ablaze since last night and six bodies were found today.

With the Karbis and Dimasas at loggerheads—in Karbi Anglong, the Karbis are the dominant tribe while the Dimasas are in numbers in the adjoining North Cachar Hills—an estimated 27,000 people from the two tribes have fled the villages to 44 relief camps set up in different parts of the district.

While some 10,000 have lost their houses, over 17,000 others have shifted fearing attacks. Trouble began on September 26 when three Dimasa youths were killed by suspected Karbi militants at Manga.

Describing yesterday’s attacks on two buses at Jirikingding, about 200 km from the district headquarters at Diphu, Dilip Ronghang, driver of one of the buses, said: ‘‘Since they came in Army uniforms, we did not suspect any foul play and stopped the buses. But they turned out to be militants. They dragged out the passengers, separated the Karbi tribals and then hacked them and shot them.’’

Among the 22 dead were nine women and five children. Later, the same group killed another 12 villagers. Police suspect the Dima Halam Daoga, a Dimasa militant group, was behind the attack.

Karbi Anglong Deputy Commissioner J D Tripathi said the situation was tense but under control, despite yesterday’s incident that left 34 dead. The hill district is under indefinite curfew.

Governor Ajai Singh arrived by train from Guwahati tonight. But not a single member of CM Tarun Gogoi’s Cabinet has bothered to visit.