Violence resurfaces in lower Assam districts, toll 61

Fresh violence between immigrant minorities and Bodos erupted after a 10-day lull in lower Assam's Chirang and Kokrajhar districts claiming five lives to push the death toll to 61 as indefinite curfew was reclapmed in Chirang today.

Three bodies bearing bullet marks were found in Chirang and two in Kokrajhar district, which bore the brunt of the first wave of violence which claimed 56 lives, police said adding one person was also reported missing in Kokrajhar.

Chirang Superintendent of Police Kumar Sanjiv Krishna said the three - father and his two sons - had left the camp for displaced persons at Kawatika village of Chirang district yesterday and their bodies were found today. "They left the camp without informing anybody and without any security. Since then they were untraced. Today we found their bodies at Borlangshu village at Chirang district," he said.

"Indefinite curfew has been launched and the army is conducting regular flag march in the district," Assam IGP (Law and Order) L R Bishnoi told PTI here.
He said there were some stray incidents, but the situation was brought under control after the police decided to fix permanent security pickets in the recent-violence hit districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri.

IGP of the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Council (BTAD) S N Singh said 112 fixed security pickets in the three worst-affected districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri would be set up and the process had been started.

These fixed pickets would be manned by CRPF personnel and their main task would be to ensure that the displaced persons returned home, Singh said. Night curfew continues in Kokrajhar and Chirang, which are part of the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts, and Dhubri which is outside it.

In Baksa district, as also in lower Assam, three people were seriously injured today when a bomb exploded at Goreshwar, the police said. The explosion, suspected to be carried out by anti-talk ULFA militants, took place when the three brought down a packet hanging from a tree between Harijori and Bagdoba areas in the district, seriously injuring them.

Police said additional security pickets have been posted there to prevent untoward incidents as the anti-talk faction generally calls bandh every year in the run-up to Independence day function.