HAFLONG: Tension refuses to die down in Dima Hasao two days after the Maibong incident where two protesters were killed in police firing as they blocked the rails to protest the alleged move to annex the hills district into the proposed greater Nagalim.
Curfew in Maibong, the epi centre of the incident, is still in force where the local residents have to confine to their homes. Army, police and para military forces have been patrolling on the streets apprehending rerun of violence.
"We are closely monitoring the situation. Tight security arrangement is in place to avert any outbreak of fresh incident. Now the situation is under control," said a senior police officer.
At least ten local organizations have been enforcing 48 hour bandh from Friday morning disrupting normal life in the entire hills district.
"With this bandh call we want immediate removal of DC and SP who unleashed violence on the peaceful protesters. They are to be blamed for the death of two protesters in police firing. Further, we demand an impartial probe into the incident apart from adequate compensation to the deceased and free treatment of those who sustained injury in the police firing," said a Dimasa student leader in Haflong.
Local residents in Maibong also blamed it all on the district administration for the incident. Ripen Hojai, s local resident said,"the protest was peaceful. The protesters asked the passengers to get down to avoid any untowered incident. But the situation suddenly took a violent turn immediately after DC and SP arrived in the spot and asked the policemen to spring upon the protesters where we lost two young lives."
For the first time nobody in the district participated in the Republic Day celebrations on Friday.
Ministers Porimal Suklavaidya and Keshab Mahanta have been camping in Haflong to assess the situation with civil and police heavyweights.
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