Assam communal violence toll rises to 19, Army called in
The violence has spread to the neighbouring Chirang district, where the bodies of four persons were recovered on July 22.
Nineteen persons have been killed by miscreants in sporadic incidents of violence in Assam's Kokrajhar district since July 20, prompting the district administration to clamp night curfew on July 21. About 35,000 people have fled their homes and taken shelter in 37 relief camps in the district. The violence has spread to the neighbouring Chirang district, where the bodies of four persons were recovered on July 22.
It all started on July 6, when two members of the All Bodoland Minority Students' Union (ABMSU) were shot dead by unidentified gunmen at Anthihara in Kokrajhar. Riding motorcycles, unidentified youths fired at a group of people standing on a wooden bridge at the Kokrajhar-Dotma-Gossaingaon Road killing one Narul Haque on the spot while another person, identified as Mazibur Rehman, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. On July 7, the student body took out a rally in Kokrajhar town carrying the bodies. The ABMSU then submitted a memorandum to chief minister Tarun Gogoi and Bodoland Territorial Council(BTC) chief Hagrama Mohilary through the deputy commissioner (DC), Kokrajhar, seeking immediate arrest of the attackers and compensation to the victims and the injured. Its activists also torched a bike and assaulted the rider seriously injuring him on July 7 at Anthihara when he was on his way to Kokrajhar.
Abdur Rahim Ahmed, president of All Assam Minority Students' Union (AAMSU), blamed Gogoi and Mahilary for all sorts of atrocities meted out to non- Bodo people in the BTC. Kokrajhar falls under the jurisdiction of Bodoland Territorial Administered Districts (BTAD) which is administered by BTC. The council came into existence after the signing of a tripartite peace accord among Bodo Liberation Tigers militants, the Assam government and the Central government in February 2003. "Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has failed to protect the minority community and other non-Bodo communities living in BTAD. As such, he should surrender the home portfolio and resign from the chief minister's post on moral grounds," said Ahmed.
On July 16, members of AAMSU staged a dharna in front of Raj Bhavan in Guwahati. Ahmed also demanded immediate transfer of Kokrajhar SP and DC besides the arrest of the culprits, adequate compensation to the victim's family and protection to non-Bodo people living in BTC.
Though the government announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 3 lakh, the police failed to arrest those involved in Gosaigaon killing. On July 20, four activists of former militant outfit Bodo Liberation Tigers were shot dead by unidentified persons in Joypur. In retaliation, armed Bodos attacked Muslims, suspecting them to be behind the killings and soon communal violence spread across the district.
Following the clashes between Bodos and suspected Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh, 10 companies of the Central paramilitary forces were deployed in sensitive areas. Another five reached the district on July 23. Businesses, offices and schools remained closed for last three days. Police said unidentified groups set ablaze houses, schools, and vehicles, firing indiscriminately from automatic weapons in populated areas. The body of a six-month-old child was found by villagers on a riverbank along with the body of a woman on July 22.
The violence escalated on July 23 with the protesters stopping the Guwahati-New Delhi Rajdhani Express. The train left for its destination after security forces cleared the track. Appealing to the people to maintain peace and harmony, Mohilary alleged that the disturbances were a "political conspiracy to defame the Bodo people". Mohilary said any attempt to break communal harmony would be seriously dealt with.
In view of the communal clashes in Kokrajhar, the Udalguri district administration has taken up precautionary measures to control any kind of violence and maintain peace and harmony among people in the district. While Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in the district, the Army and para-military forces have been alerted.
This is not the first time that Bodos and suspected migrants from Bangladesh have clashed in the state. In October 2008, ethnic clashes between Bodos and Muslims killed 49 and rendered 1.5 lakh homeless. The bloodletting soaked four districts of Assam- Udalguri, Darrang, Sonitpur and Chirang.
Assam Government's handling of this communal clash has also raised many questions. When the riot first broke, CM Gogoi sent transport minister Chandan Brahma, a member of Bodoland People's Front, to take stock of the situation. Instead of dousing the communal fire, it created suspicion among the minorities that the state government was skewed towards BTC. On July 23, Gogoi did another blunder by asking forest minister Rockybul Hussain to visit the riot-affected areas.