LEWANG, (Arunachal Pradesh), Dec 26 � Tension prevails in entire Miao and its adjacent areas of Changlang district in Arunachal Pradesh due to communal clashes between two communities since December 23. More than 10 houses and several motor vehicles were gutted during the conflict.
According to an unofficial source, four persons have lost their lives in the conflict till the filing of this report.
A plot of land at Empen is the bone of contention between the two communities. According to a report, the Chakmas were encroaching the land belonging to the Singpho community for which the hostile situation arose in the area. Though the Singphos had the Land Possession certificate (LPC), the Chakmas allegedly attacked the Singpho inhabited areas there and burnt down the houses and property besides attacking the Singphos.
The conflict spread to the entire area along the Noa Dihing river and four houses of the Singpho people were gutted at Phup and Lewang villages on December 24. A maruti Gypsy, an Alto and two motorbikes were also burnt down at Empen on December 23.
A Singpho man at Lewang village said, �More than 500 Chakma people suddenly attacked our village and burnt down my house. We somehow managed to flee. But our belongings were turned to ashes by the irate mob.�
CRPF, IRBN and Assam Rifles have been deployed in the conflict zone. Section 144 has been clamped in the entire area to control the situation.
It may be mentioned that the Chakma refugees from Bangladesh were settled by the Government of India in 1964 in Changlang district. The recent explosion of population in these areas led the Chakmas to encroach the reserve forests and the land possesed by the neighbouring Singphos in the Diyun Circle.
�After a notice of the High Court the stay order was issued to the Chakmas to reside in Madakhanala and Devapur (Aranyapur) areas. But they encroached and settled in the areas adjacent to it ignoring the direction of the Court�, said a local person of Diyun.
