Karbi Activists Slam Govt Over ‘Barren Land’ Claim for Project

In what is being hailed as a major victory for grassroots activism, two leading rights organisations — the Bhoomi Adhikar Yojana Sangram Samiti and the Karbi Anglong Solar Power Project Affected People’s Rights Committee (KASPPARC) — have demanded the complete cancellation of the proposed 1000 MW solar power project in Bokajan, Karbi Anglong.

Addressing a joint press conference at the Guwahati Press Club on Wednesday, the organisations revealed that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has withdrawn Rs 4000 crore in loan funding, which constituted 50% of the proposed project’s total capital. The cancellation came after sustained protests, public hearings, and international advocacy by community representatives.

Speaking at the conference, former IAS officer Jones Ingti Kathar, Gauhati High Court senior advocate Santanu Borthakur, and political activist Pranab Doley, along with Bikram Hanse and Subrata Talukdar, warned that the project — planned over an estimated 18,000 bighas of land — threatens the livelihoods of over 20,000 indigenous people, including members of the Karbi, Naga, and Adivasi communities.

“This project blatantly violates the principles enshrined in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. It must be scrapped,” the leaders stated.

Despite repeated protests — including marches to Guwahati and official petitions submitted to the ADB — both the Assam Government and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) allegedly continued to present misleading and inaccurate data in favour of the project.

Exposed: The Falsehood of ‘Barren Land’

One of the most serious charges made by the groups was the classification of the project land as "barren" — despite it being under cultivation for generations.

“Providing such false data to an international financial institution is not only unethical — it is a criminal act,” the speakers said.

A pivotal moment in the movement came during a public hearing in Dimapur involving ADB officials, followed by an intervention at the ADB Board of Directors’ meeting in Milan, Italy. There, Pranab Doley and Bikram Hanse represented the affected communities and urged the bank to pull out. Soon after, the ADB officially withdrew its Rs 4000 crore investment — a devastating blow to the project’s future.

“A People’s Triumph, A Government’s Shame”

The groups strongly criticised both the Assam Government and KAAC for providing false information to secure funding.

“At a time when people’s resistance forced the ADB to reconsider its funding, the state machinery remained obsessed with commissions and private profit,” they alleged.

They also launched a direct attack on KAAC Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang, accusing him of misleading the public post-funding withdrawal.

“Tuliram Ronghang, known for his obsession with commissions, has grown unstable and insecure due to the people’s protest,” said the groups.

Particularly concerning was Ronghang’s alleged public remark branding activist Pranab Doley a ‘murderer’ — a comment the organisations condemned as defamatory and unconstitutional. They demanded a public apology.

Demands and a Call to Action

The organisations placed three clear demands before the government:

1. Immediate and full cancellation of the 1000 MW solar project.

     2. A formal notification by the Assam Government confirming the same.

     3. An unconditional public apology from Tuliram Ronghang for his remarks.

They further called for a blanket rejection of any development project that violates the Sixth Schedule or threatens traditionally inhabited lands in tribal belts and blocks.

“We are not against development. But it must be sustainable, inclusive, and not at the cost of people’s lives or the environment,” the groups clarified.

Concluding the press conference, the leaders issued a powerful call for statewide unity to protect traditional land rights and resist exploitative policies.

“This is not just Karbi Anglong’s struggle — it’s Assam’s struggle. We urge every community to join this movement for justice and sustainable progress.”

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