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Violence revisits Assam

By Rituparna Goswami Pande |

Violence has revisited Assam with a vengeance. After a comparatively peaceful period once again Assam bleeds. The unfortunate incident of group clash jolted Assam out of its reverie and has triggered a kind of a chain reaction of bandhs, blasts and increased the probability of ethnic clashes. Ethnic clashes were an alien occurrence in Assam till black Saturday dawned upon the people of Assam on the fateful day of November 24.

An allegedly peaceful rally of Adivasi Students’ Association demanding the status of Scheduled Tribes status of the Adivasi community turned into a gory battleground for local residents of Beltola area of Guwahati and the rallyists. Hundreds of vehicles, shops and business establishments and residential buildings were damaged. Officially at least one person has been reported killed while around 200 people injured in the clashes. The death toll may go up as 10 people were reported to be in a critical state.

An indefinite curfew was clamped from Basistha Tiniali to Dispur Last gate on Saturday and an eerie silence has taken over the areas as people are unable to come to terms with the incident.

The failure of the administration to bring the situation under control has led the political parties to condemn the government’s failure to maintain law and order in the state.
Allegedly, prompt action on the part of the administration could have averted the violent eruption. Another major factor was how some of the adivasi students were allowed to carry bows and arrows in the rally?

However the state government has taken measures to curb further disturbances in the state by ordering the District Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to take adequate steps to prevent the spread of violence in other parts of the state. A 36 hour Assam Bandh had been called today by the All Adivasi Student’s Association in protest of the group clash on Saturday.

Meanwhile two blasts rocked Guwahati last evening near a glass factory in Fatasil Ambari killing one person and another blast occurred in Tinsukia’s Manik Hazarika Road killing two people. The police suspect the ULFA behind the blasts.

Taking advantage of the disturbed situation the ULFA has renewed its violent streak in Assam. Today Assam is in a sensitive spot with emotions of the locals and the adivasis running high, hence it’s the government’s turn now to douse the fires of hatred ignited by people with vested interests and foil the ulterior motives of the enemies of the state. And it’s the peoples’ turn to show their solidarity by maintaining peace and controlling the situation which has already gone out of hand.

Photo: Security personnel having a strong vigil on 26-11-07 in the Beltola-Survey area, Guwahati, after the mass violence on 24th November.

Comments

CHARLIE's picture

Submitted by CHARLIE on Tue, 27/11/2007 - 02:44
ITS REALLY SHOCKING INCIDENT HAPPENED TO OUR SOCIETY FOR THE FIRST TIME HAPPENED IN GHY,WHO EVER DONE THIS THEY SHOULD REALISED THAT OUR SOCIETY MENTALLY IS NOT THAT WAY THEY HAVE DONE TO ADIVASI WOMEN , U REPORTHING OF ARTICLE IS EXCELLENT
Smriti Rekha Bharali Saikia's picture

Submitted by Smriti Rekha Bh... on Tue, 27/11/2007 - 08:48
Its really sad that people of Assam is still busy in violence. They should wake up and take a step for futher development of the education of children and other functional activities. We love our life so please stop violence and make our Assam a beautiful land with full of love, affection and faith. Zindagi jeene ka naam hein na ki marne and maarne ka. Jai Hind. M---- your article is superb.
bonbon's picture

Submitted by bonbon on Tue, 27/11/2007 - 12:27
It's such a sad feeling that a peaceful place like axom has overnight turned so ghastly. the need of the hour is to be more tolerant and peaceloving. No amount of bloodshed can bring peace.You are doing a marveloys job by bringing out the correct happenings . It is said that the pen is mightier then the sword keep it up.
jaay's picture

Submitted by jaay on Thu, 13/12/2007 - 02:46
Where will it end, is all we are interested in? It’s now been a long time and probably the issues for which the fight / differences cropped have long been lost so now is the right to sit down and think for a better future for the next generation. Let us not bring them into the fear that we have lived through, give secure and bright future. Business of bombing is getting out of hand. People should become more aware and cautious in the market place and should report any suspicious materials. Can the people be part of the society who have the heart of placing bomb right in the market and kill fellow citizens, I don’t know, at least I can say that they are NOT fighting for a cause or some cause. We must assert as to what we want, this is our place and we want it to be safe, even if it means that I have to revolt against my friend / relative , we have to do it in order to make our city a city of bliss. Nice article.

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