Assam: 200-year-old temple in Karimganj devastated by miscreants, sparks outrage

A 200-year-old temple in the Ratabari area of Karimganj, Assam, has been reduced to ashes, igniting tensions among the locals. The incident occurred in the remote tribal village of Damasra, situated in Ratabari's Rareshara tribal village. 

In the darkness of the night, miscreants set fire to the ancient temple, which had been a cherished religious site for centuries. It is believed that in the early 1800s, the late Goddess Ram Barman established the temple in the tribal village, where idols of Shiva Parvati and Lakshmi Narayan held a place of reverence. For generations, this sacred place has been at the heart of tribal worship.
Distraught women in the village allege that the miscreants deliberately set the temple ablaze to hurt the religious sentiments of tribal Hindus and are demanding appropriate punishment for the culprits.

Police officials, including the district commissioner and superintendent of police rushed to the scene, and paramilitary forces have been deployed to maintain order and security.

The tribals have been residing in the village for centuries with the permission of the forest department. However, over recent years, tensions have escalated as people from other communities reportedly seek to forcibly lay claim to the land, according to locals.