Bhumi Adhikar Sangram Samiti (BASS) held a press conference at the Guwahati Press Club on Monday and expressed serious concern about the situation related to tribal land rights in Karbi Anglong. The speakers said they were worried that the rights of tribal and indigenous people were not being protected properly by the Assam government and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC).
Addressing the media, advocate Shantanu Borthakur and committee convenor Subrat Talukdar said that the land rights of tribal people were an important part of the Constitution. They stated that these protections were created to ensure the safety, identity, and self-governance of indigenous communities. However, they alleged that these safeguards were now being ignored. According to them, the government has not been handling the issue in the right way and has not given enough priority to the concerns of tribal people.
They also claimed that the Chief Minister had repeatedly referred to ongoing court cases to explain the lack of action. The speakers felt that this was misleading and said that important constitutional provisions, especially those under the Sixth Schedule, were slowly being weakened. They said that the Sixth Schedule was meant to protect tribal regions and communities, and any dilution of these rights would have long-term effects. 
The leaders further spoke about the changing demographic pattern in the Karbi Hills. They said that tribal communities were worried about increasing migration into the area. According to them, this migration could create social and economic pressure in the region and may even affect the cultural identity of the local tribal population. They stated that people were afraid that their land, customs, and political rights might come under threat if this trend continued unchecked.
They also mentioned the Kheroni incident, saying that it showed why the issue needed urgent attention. The committee demanded a fair investigation and accountability from the authorities. They criticised what they saw as the government’s reluctance to take strong and clear action in such matters.
The committee members repeated that they did not support inhuman eviction drives. They said that any action involving land and people must respect human dignity. At the same time, they stressed that tribal land laws and constitutional protections should not be ignored. They urged both the state and central governments to ensure that displaced persons are given proper rehabilitation. According to them, this rehabilitation should follow constitutional rules and must be handled in a humane way so that no one is left helpless.
Throughout the press conference, the speakers highlighted that the Sixth Schedule was created to give tribal communities more control over their own land and administration. They said that weakening these protections could damage the trust between the government and indigenous groups. They called for stronger implementation of existing laws rather than creating confusion or delay.
