v      Date: 24 March 2004 – Twenty-nine Karbis killed by Kuki terrorists in villages lying between Bokajan and Maza Thana in Karbi Anglong district of Assam. Four remote villages situated inside hills badly affected in the attack.

v      Date: 27 March 2004 - Nine people killed and 70 houses burned down by Kuki terrorists.

v      Date: 10 June 2004 - Three CPI (ML) activists lost their lives and eight others injured in an ambush by UPDS volunteers in Diphu.

v      Date: 12 June 2004 – Six people, including officials and Home Guards on duty at the Umransu Cement Ltd. kidnapped by suspected militants in North Cachar Hills district.

These are a few incidents of Kuki reprisal reported in the media to revenge the attacks on innocent Kuki villagers by the Karbis. More than 100 people have been killed in the violence and more than 500 houses have been burnt down. In the district of Kokrajhar, the sad memories of thousands of Adivasis and Bodos meeting deaths in brutal and heinous manner linger in your mind when you visit the hundreds of refugee camps.

Militancy and Workers

Such conflict situations directly or indirectly affects the working population, especially those who migrates from one state to another looking for better opportunities. Immediately after such attacks, which not only terrorise and develop a fear psycosis, but creates a situation where their existence is questioned, the workers are left with no option but to move to safer corners of the state. Production also drops in factories as the skilled and non-skilled workers are gone and some secondary skilled workers join on emergency employment.

Industrial relations are hit due to the constant quarrel between two or more segments of communities leading to hatred and suspicion between the employer and the workers. The workers are no more taken into confidence and they are seen or perceived as potential killers or attackers. An unhealthy environment grows, which is not at all conducive for normal production and continuing the business further. The case of Bangaigaon Refinery and Petro-chemicals Ltd. In Kokrajhar is a burning example.

Conflicts among communities and tribes give rise to constant quarrel for access to properties and belongings thereby influencing the livelihood systems. Such conflicts also deeply influence the working and living conditions of the affected people. Immediate casualties are kept in relief camps where needs always exceed supply.

Another casualty in such conflict situations is food security. As the normal availability of food in many areas is not satisfactory due to ethnic conflicts, food production suffers. As complete normal attention cannot be given in such tense environment, production decreases notably further complicating the economic situation of the workers. As insecure feelings prevail, workers are tempted to acquire sufficient quantities of food for difficult and crisis moments. Theft, prostitution, rape and molestation become the common order of the day.

Women are the Worst Sufferers

Women are the worst sufferers in the ethnic clashes leading to displacement. It may be in a number of ways such as (a) displacement due to ethnic clashes, (b) displacement due to presence of relief camps and (c) displacement due to resistance from armed activists to resettle in areas, which are supposed to be safe haven. There are also cases where displaced women and children have often found to receive less than their full quota of ration of food. They eat less and eat last. Sometimes the women use the family income to bail out their men from police custody. Ration also is sometimes smuggled out to insurgent groups under threat.

Powerless Workers

All these impacts gradually make the working class powerless. They are incapacitated to such an extent that their negotiating ability with the employers diminishes making them vulnerable to divisive tactics by the employer. They become easy targets for criticism. As a survival strategy adopted by the affected workers, the most common approach adopted by them is to migrate to other safe interiors of the state, more suitable areas like the Upper Assam districts of Shivasagar, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sonitpur and Darrang. They also start to mingle with the advanced communities which they don’t in normal circumstances.