Tension in KA Rengma Naga areas

Rengma Naga Peoples Council (RNPC) and Western Rengma Students Union (WRSU) Monday said there has been “unabated” violence and threat to Rengma Nagas in Karbi Anglong.

In a joint statement RNPC president Shahi Rengma and WRSU president Phenpiga Rengma claimed physical violence has erupted all over the Rengma villages and there have been security lapses committed by law enforcing agencies in Rengma areas.

The organizations said: “No Rengma is safe in their own land. Every where the defenceless Rengmas are targeted by the trigger happy Karbi militants.”

The Rengmas have become soft target in every nook and corner of the hills, claimed RNPC and WRSU. The two organizations alleged that Rengmas have been often “beaten or killed”.

Though the peace committee formed comprising of Karbi and Rengma NGOs have been making efforts to bring peace between the two communities by organizing peaceful meetings, Karbi militants have continuously targeted Rengmas with violence and hatred.

RNPC and WRSU said on Monday, Karbi militants had assaulted three Rengma youths identified as Samuel, Teshithang and Jimathong hailing from Tseguchangri village without any rhyme or reason. These three youths have been taken to Chokihola for medical treatment.

While the three youths were being assaulted, the Karbi militants also warned them that if they did not handover NRHPF cadres within three days, all the Rengmas living in Rengma hills would be “killed,” claimed the two organizations.

Stating that threatening to kill all Rengmas in Rengma Hills has become regular propaganda of Karbi militants, RNPC and WRSU said situation in Rengma Hills was tense and the situation was likely to snowball into major problem if the law enforcing agencies did not set up police outpost in the Rengma hills permanently.

If the government of Assam did not take up this sensitive issue seriously, communal violence between the Karbis and the Rengmas would be unavoidable, RNPC and WRSU stated.

In the event of a “full scale war” erupting, the Assam government would be held responsible for all the consequence, said RNPC and WRSU.

RNPC and WRSU statement followed Council of Naga Rengma Hills (CNRH)/ Naga Rengma Hills Protection Force (NRHPF)’s claim on Sunday that the group knows all the details of how another Rengma Late Nzankheng was “kidnapped” and “murdered” by one Karbi militant group at a village in Chokihola.

~NP