Deprived and denied

 Consequent upon the tripartite agreement arrived at between the government of India, government of Assam and six rebel outfits of Karbi Anglong district, the existing Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) is to be renamed as Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council (KAATC). It will have administrative functions over two districts- Karbi Anglong district and West Karbi Anglong district with headquarters in Diphu. The total area of the proposed   Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council is 10,401 sq. km having a population of 961,275 as of 2011.The rejig of KAAC to KAATC is in line with the decision of the union cabinet in 2019 which approved a Constitutional amendment to increase the financial and executive powers of the ten autonomous councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of the northeast. There will be devolution of financial resources to the councils, transfer of additional 30 subjects to the KAATC including other autonomous tribal councils in the north east. While the creation of KAATC is positive development, there is more to it than meets the eye. For one, Karbi Anglong erstwhile Mikir Hills district is inhabited by various tribes and communities. One of the   inhabitants of Karbi Anglong- the Rengma Nagas- who claim to be the indigenous people of the Rengma Hills in present day Karbi Anglong- are rightly incensed at being taken for granted after being disposed of their ancestral lands. Unlike other communities including tea tribes etc, the Rengmas in Karbi Anglong are indigenous inhabitants of the area and which even the Britishers acknowledge by creating the Rengma Hills in 1841. It has been recorded in some historical accounts, that even the very name ‘Mikir’ was originated from the Rengma word ‘mekeronnyu’ which is said to mean “burning the bodies after death”. The Rengmas in Karbi Anglong have cited historical accounts of being the indigenous inhabitants of Rengma Hills (till it was arbitrarily renamed as Mikir Hills in 1970). By 1976 the Mikir Hills district was again renamed as Karbi Anglong district. According to Rengmas most tribal communities in Karbi Anglong migrated from other states such as Karbis from Khasi Hills. There have been ethnic clashes in the district between Karbis and other ethnic tribes such as – Kukis-Karbis, Khasis-Karbis, north Indians-Karbis, Dimasa-Karbi and Rengmas-Karbis etc. The Rengmas in Karbi Anglong are not opposing the creation of the KAATC but resent the fact that they have not been consulted prior to proposal for creation of KAATC. The Rengmas have been demanding creation of  Rengma Hills Autonomous District (RHAD) bifurcating from Karbi Anglong with Headquarters at Bokajan for Rengmas and Non Karbis. The Rengma Nagas have been submitting several memoranda to the central and state governments for many years for creation of RHAD but it has been ignored. Not only being deprived of their rightful opportunities which have instead gone to immigrants, the Rengmas in the district have also been preyed upon by militant outfits and when they wanted their share of political rights, the response has been clearly not only unresponsive but also hostile. If later day arrivals have been able to corner development and political influence, surely the Rengmas in Karbi Anglong have every right to expect equal share and opportunities as other communities?. The apex tribes of Nagaland could appeal to the state government to urge upon the Centre and Assam that peace and development is possible only when there is justice and equality for all communities of Karbi Anglong.