A somber occasion descended into chaos in Kokila, a serene pocket of Arunachal Pradesh’s Papumpare district, as a funeral procession ignited a fiery clash between Chakma refugees and local villagers. The incident, rooted in a contentious land dispute, has ripped open old wounds of ethnic and territorial tensions, sending ripples of concern across the region.
Eyewitnesses recount a scene where an attempt by Chakma refugees to cremate a deceased community member on a parcel of land, vehemently claimed by local villagers as their ancestral property, quickly spiralled out of control. What began as a heated exchange of words rapidly escalated into a full-blown physical altercation, highlighting the deeply entrenched frustrations over land ownership and resource access in the area.
While official reports on injuries remain elusive, sources close to the incident described a volatile environment that necessitated immediate police intervention to quell the brewing unrest. The dramatic turn of events has starkly illuminated the precarious co-existence between the Chakma refugee community and the indigenous inhabitants. The Chakmas, along with the Hajongs, were resettled in various parts of Arunachal Pradesh, including Kokila and Hollongi, decades ago under a government rehabilitation scheme. Intended as a temporary measure, this arrangement has ironically fostered enduring friction over land rights, identity, and the equitable distribution of resources.
The recent flare-up has prompted fervent appeals from local leaders and civil society organisations, urging the state government to step in with urgency to de-escalate the volatile situation and avert any further escalation of violence. Both factions, weary from years of unresolved disputes, have voiced their profound disappointment over the absence of a sustainable, long-term resolution, a vacuum that they claim has condemned them to an perpetual state of uncertainty and mistrust.