Karbi violence: Why it happened

The violence between the Karbi and Dimasa tribes of Assam's Karbi Anglong hill district, which has taken a toll of 70 lives, started on September 26 when three Dimasa auto-rickshaw drivers were hacked to death by unidentified persons at Tissom village in the Diphu police station area.

On October 2, five members of a Karbi family were hacked to death at Hemari Terang village followed by killing of another three Karbis at Upper Dikrong two days later under the same police station. On October 8 at Borsingbe village six Dimasas were killed in retaliation to which eight Karbis were killed the next day at Langsoliet village.

Then five more Dimasas were killed at Kheroni village the day after. After one day's respite from the orgy of ethnic violence, a Dimasa woman was hacked to death on October 12. Four bodies were recovered on October 16 from Karbi villages Hojaipur, Bokolia, Jamunapar and Sing Teron area where five people were also reported missing.

Yesterday, 22 Karbi bus passengers were hacked to death at Jenkha and another 12 at Sarsim village under Kheroni police station, while a body was recovered on Tuesday from Tissobasti Karbi village. Thousands of people belonging to the two warring tribes after fleeing their homes took shelter in relief camps, the sources said. Besides this, hundreds of Dimasa tribals had fled from Karbi Anglong and taken shelter in adjacent Dimasa-dominated North Cachar Hills district.