HT Bureau
DIPHU, July 4: The All Party Hills Leaders Conference (APHLC) organised a Sixth Schedule Awareness rally in Diphu town and also demanded conduct of re-election of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC). APHLC said the election conducted in June was not as per the Sixth Schedule provision, but was conducted according to Panchayat laws.
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Thousands of APHLC supporters and workers from different parts of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong participated in the awareness rally held here at Semson Sing Ingti Memorial Park on Monday. The party supporters and workers coming by bus, trucks, tempos, two wheelers and three wheelers braved the heat to take part in the rally. People of different ages and from various walks of life took part in the rally. There were some lactating mothers with babies in their arms as well.
Slogans like “We want re-election”, “BJP, RSS Go Back”, “Bongo Sena Go Back”, “Tuliram Ronghang Go Back”, “Sixth Scheduled Long Live”, and “APHLC Long Live” rend the air.
Before the rally was taken out, the leaders addressed the gathering.
President of APHLC, Jones Ingti Kathar said, “Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong are under Sixth Schedule provision and the KAAC election should be conducted as per the 6th Schedule provision. But the recently concluded KAAC election in June last was according to Panchayati laws, which is totally illegal.”
He also said, “There were proxy voting and attacks on non-BJP supporters on the voting day on June 8 in Bithung-Rengthama Member of Autonomous Council (MAC) constituency, the home constituency of chief executive member (CEM) of Tuliram Ronghang. The APHLC polling agents were attacked. They were not allowed to enter the voting booth. It is totally illegal and the APHLC wants a free and fair re-election. The party will approach the Supreme Court on this matter.”
Alleging the RSS and Bongo Sena of controlling the district and affairs of the KAAC, Kathar said, “The Bongo Sena and RSS want Member of Autonomous Council (MAC) from Howraghat, Ajit Kumar Dey to be inducted as Executive Member (EM) in the new Executive Committee (EC) headed by CEM Ronghang, and want Dey to be given the charge of Land & Revenue department.”
Kathar also said on September 25, 2021 the APHLC had taken out a torch light procession in opposition against certain clauses of MoS signed by six armed organisations with the State and Central government. Angtong Engti Kathar had not participated in that rally. Instead of arresting him (JI Kathar) police have arrested Angtong, who has committed no mistake. The BJP wants to divide the APHLC.
He also said the eviction drive taken out at Rongpangthir village, Lumding Road, by the Land & Revenue Department is an injustice done against the people.
The Supreme Court says before an eviction in any tribal dominated land, the government should first find land to relocate them. The government should construct a house and provide all basic amenities to them. But in the case of Rongpangthir, the KAAC has not compensated them. The intention of RSS and Bongo Sena is to drive away the Karbis from their present place of stay and to be replaced by Bengalis and Biharis.
Bikram Hanse, the APHLC candidate from Bithung-Rengthama in the last KAAC election, said the BJP workers in Bithung Rengthama were indulged in massive rigging. Several APHLC supporters were stopped from entering the voting booth on the polling date on June 8 last.
The election was totally illegal and APHLC wants a re-election, they said.
Hanse said KAAC should stop listening to the dictates of RSS and Bongo Sena. The BJP government should stop arresting APHLC leaders without any proof. They also warned the government by saying that “this is just the beginning, if the government fails to conduct re-election then the APHLC would take up a strong agitation”.
The rally was taken out from Semson Sing Ingti Memorial Park and passed through Sirvomu statue, Matipung to market, Post Office, KAAC gate on Khorsing Terang road and culminated at the Park.
APHLC general secretary Sarkiri Rongphar; organising secretary Kursing Timung; secretary I/c Women Wing, Rita Kramsapi; vice president Purnima Enghipi; legal cell secretary Semson Teron and several other leaders were present at the rally.
