Guwahati, November 23
The toll in anti-Bihari violence shot to 50 in Assam today as ULFA militants set ablaze huts belonging to Biharis burning two of them to death in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district while Union Minister of State for Home Swami Chinmayananda warned that ‘a third force’ was trying to destabilise the situation. Swami Chinmayananda, who along with the Development of North-East Region Minister Dr C.P. Thakur, is now on a tour of the trouble-torn district, warned that a ‘third force’ was attempting to
destabilise the state and peace among all communities here.
Official sources here said a group of ultras stormed into Halokhowa village under Doomdooma police station and set ablaze several huts of Bihari people there while they were asleep in the wee hours.
Panic stricken people fled the houses but two got trapped and were burnt to death.
Heavy police reinforcements have been rushed to the spot and combing operations were launched.
Meanwhile, the situation was stated to be tense following yesterday’s fresh violence that claimed 12 Bihari lives in Tinsukia district and two more today by ULFA taking the toll to 50 since violence erupted following the attack on Assamese train passengers in Bihar on November 11 and 12.
Stray incidents of arson, burning of huts and intimidation continued in remote areas, sources said.
Curfew in Tinsukia was relaxed for three hours from 12 noon, while night curfew continued to be in force in 12 other violence-hit towns of the state, sources said.
Meanwhile, in Kokrajhar district of Lower Assam, suspected ultras fired on a police patrol party at Basugaon. Upon retaliation the militants fled away and none was injured.
One house was burnt in Sipajhar in Darrang district yesterday but all members of the family escaped unhurt as they had gone to enjoy a theatre then.
One shop belonging to a Bihari was burnt down in Dimow area of troubled Upper Assam’s Sibsagar district while a tea leaf measuring shed owned by another Bihari along with a tin sheet was burnt down in Kakojana under Doomdooma police station.
One businessman, Chiten Rao, was seriously injured when he was attacked by miscreants at Kaliabor in Nagaon district while minor stray incidents were also reported from other areas, sources said.
The new Tinsukia Superintendent of Police Apurba Jiban Baruah, who joined yesterday after his predecessor was suspended, conducted a combing operation throughout the troubled areas under Bordubi police station which witnessed the single largest killing yesterday of 11 brick-kiln workers by the ULFA.
As a security measure, the police has ordered posting of pickets in the sensitive and Bihari dominated areas to instil a sense of confidence among them even as hundreds of immigrant Biharis were heading for Guwahati to catch trains to their home state.
— PTI
