Cachar Congress Slams Assam Government Over Karbi Anglong Killings

The Cachar District Congress Committee on Saturday (December 27) organised a candlelight march in Silchar to protest the brutal killing of two youths in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district. The protest was led by the Silchar Youth Congress and Seva Dal Young Brigade.

According to the protestors, two youths, Dipak Dey and Saurabh Dey, were burnt alive inside their shop in West Karbi Anglong. Condemning the incident, party leaders accused the Assam government of remaining silent and demanded a high-level investigation into the case.

The candlelight march began from Indira Bhavan and passed through Park Road before concluding in front of the Goldighi Municipal Mall, Premtola. After the march, a protest meeting was held where Congress leaders strongly criticised the incident and the government’s response.

Former District Congress President Abhijit Paul said that the killing of the two youths was unacceptable under any circumstances. He alleged that since the BJP came to power, Bengali Hindus have been facing repeated attacks in Assam. He said the so-called double-engine government had failed to protect the lives of people in Karbi Anglong.

Paul also drew a comparison with incidents in Bangladesh, claiming that Bengali Hindus were being targeted there as well. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and ensure the safety of Bengali Hindus both in Assam and in Bangladesh. He warned that if such attacks continued, Congress would not remain silent.

Other Congress leaders and workers present at the protest echoed similar views. They demanded strict action against those responsible for the Karbi Anglong incident and called for stronger measures to ensure the security of Bengali Hindus in the state. The Congress also appealed to the central government to step in, stating that the safety and security of citizens must be given top priority.

It should be noted that the West Karbi Anglong district has been witnessing unrest since December 22, 2025, during which multiple deaths have been reported. Apart from the two youths mentioned above, another death involved Suresh Dey, a 25-year-old specially abled man, who was charred to death after his house-cum-shop was allegedly set on fire by a mob in the Kheroni area. In a separate incident, a Karbi youth identified as Athik Timung was killed after police reportedly opened fire while attempting to control a violent crowd.

The protests were triggered by a long-standing demand of indigenous Karbi organisations for the eviction of alleged illegal settlers from the Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) and Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) lands. What initially began as a hunger strike later escalated into widespread violence, marked by racial slurs, arson, and ethnic clashes between Karbi and non-tribal communities. At present, the situation in Karbi Anglong is described as tense but under control, with heavy security deployment, prohibitory orders in force, and mobile internet services suspended as authorities continue efforts to restore normalcy.