Assam: Fresh Clashes Erupt in Kheroni as police resort to lathi charge, mob to stone pelting

The volatile situation in Kheroni of West Karbi Anglong, Assam, intensified on Tuesday with non-tribal residents staging massive protests and torching at least two motorcycles, amid retaliatory attacks and heavy police intervention to prevent further escalation.

Armed with sticks and rods, crowds from non-tribal communities (mostly of Nonia origin) gathered on highways from morning, expressing fury over previous arson on their properties.

Protesters pelted stones at security forces, who responded with lathi charges, rubber bullets, and tear gas to disperse the mobs.

Assam Police Director General Harmeet Singh personally oversaw operations on the ground, while additional forces maintained positions amid the standoff.

The flashpoint occurred near the Kapili Bridge, where a passenger bus attempting to cross became trapped—blocked by Karbi groups on one side and non-tribal protesters on the other—rapidly deteriorating into chaos.

A group of Karbi youths arriving on motorcycles faced alleged attacks from the non-tribal side, with their bikes smashed and set ablaze. Even some non-tribal women joined the protests, wielding sticks, while Karbi residents remained alert on the opposite bank.

Security personnel, including paramilitary units, positioned themselves in the middle of the bridge in a desperate bid to separate the warring groups and restore order.

Tensions have simmered since Monday's violence, triggered by tribal protests demanding the eviction of alleged encroachers from protected Professional Grazing Reserves (PGR) and Village Grazing Reserves (VGR).

Monday's unrest saw arson attacks on non-tribal properties and the ancestral home of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council CEM Tuliram Ronghang.

Prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNSS remain enforced, with authorities appealing for calm and announcing tripartite talks involving the state government, KAAC, and protesters to resolve the crisis.

Also Read: Assam: Tensions in Kheroni, bikes set on fire as clash between Karbis and non-Tribal continues