Rongker fest begins as KAAC, Assam govt to file joint affidavit on land rights
The two-day long festival started across Karbi Anglong as January 5 marks a crucial legal development in ongoing cases over PGR & VGR
Celebration of Rongker Karkli Festival, 2026 across Karbi Anglong (Photo: AT)
Diphu, Jan 5: With the Karbi community celebrating the traditional Rongker Karkli Festival, 2026, a two-day-long programme that started on Sunday, has drawn attention to a significant legal development in the region.
The annual Rongker is a key cultural and religious event for the Karbis.
As the predominant indigenous tribe in Assam’s hill districts, the Karbis have begun celebrating this festival across Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, and other parts of the State from Sunday.
Rongker Karkli is a post-harvest thanks-giving festival. It is dedicated to appeasing local deities for the community’s welfare, protection from calamities, good harvests, and overall prosperity. Villages have come alive with rituals, traditional dances, community feasts, and offerings, reflecting the rich heritage of the Karbi people.
On the other hand, January 5, 2026, marks a crucial date in an ongoing legal battle over land rights in the region.
The Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and the Government of Assam are set to file a joint affidavit in the Gauhati High Court in response to three pending writ petitions: WP (C)/3524/2024, WP (C)/5117/2024, and WP (C)/3718/2024.
These cases involve alleged encroachments on Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) and Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) lands in the Kheroni area, under the Donkamokam Revenue Circle in West Karbi Anglong.
The High Court has previously issued stays on the eviction process in these matters, halting any immediate action against settlers. The joint affidavit is expected to provide clarity on the status of these alleged reserved lands.
The court’s final verdict will determine whether evictions from the alleged grazing reserves can precede, an issue that has been a point of contention in recent times.
As the community immerses itself in the joyous celebrations of Rongker, and the rest of the residents await the legal proceedings with anticipation, hoping for resolutions that balance cultural preservation and land rights.