Assam-Nagaland violence : Three killed in firing, curfew imposed
Source: The Sangai Express / Agencies

Golaghat/Jorhat, August 21 2014: Three persons were killed and six injured in police firing in Assam's Golaghat town on Wednesday when a mob tried to set ablaze the Deputy Commisioner's office and a police station and targetted a hospital, after which indefinite curfew was clamped in the areas.

The mob was protesting Tuesday's police action at Rangajon where people were allegedly dragged out of their homes and beaten up.

The police fired tear gas shells to control the mob of over 1,000 people at Erengapara Chariali in Golaghat town marching to the DC's office and police station to set them on fire.

When the protestors began throwing stones at the police while reaching within 300 metre of the two buildings, the police opened fire killing three persons and injuring six, police said.

The incident occured when local TV news channels were beaming live the situation in the area.

Some policemen received minor injuries in stone-throwing, the sources added.

The injured were admitted to the hospital, they said.

Golaghat district SP Siladitya Chetia said the Army's help had been sought.

Concerned over unabated violence along Assam-Nagaland border, Home Minister Rajnath Singh telephoned Chief Ministers of Assam and Nagaland and asked them to defuse tension along the borders of the two states.

The Home Minister told Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and his Nagaland counterpart T.R.Zelian that violence along the border must end at the earliest and all possible steps should be taken to defuse tension.

Official sources said the Home Minister told Gogoi and Zelian that action must be taken against those who indulge in violence and police must maintain restraint while facing peaceful protesters.

The Home Minister suggested that the Chief Ministers should sit across the table and find out ways on how to bring harmony between the people of Assam and Nagaland living along the border.

Singh offered Gogoi and Zelian all Central assistance to bring back normalcy along the Assam-Nagaland border.

He also conveyed to them that minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju will travel to Guwahati on Thursday to take stock of the situation and talk to both the chief ministers.

Zelian will be in Assam capital on Thursday to attend a meeting of chief ministers of all northeastern states.

The home minister's action came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought a report on the situation along Assam- Nagaland border where tension prevailed after killing of nine people in Assam's Golaghat district by armed groups allegedly from Nagaland.

Earlier in the day, protestors, armed with bamboo sticks, attacked a police patrol on NH-37 at Moinapara in Golaghat injuring an assistant sub-Inspector and two constables and set ablaze a police vehicle and three trucks, police said.

The protestors told newsmen that people were on Tuesday dragged out of their homes by police and CRPF and fired upon.

Mobs also blocked the highway at Borsapori, Borjuri and Kuruwabahi early Wednesday morning with burning tyres and tree branches.

The demonstrators, shouting slogans against chief minister Tarun Gogoi, said they would continue with their protests against the "unprovoked" police action till the government protected them against attacks from Nagaland.

Gogoi, on his part, accused union home minister Rajnath Singh of failing to provide security along the state's border with Nagaland and that the Centre was not taking the violence seriously.

"Yes, I am responsible as the chief minister of state for what is happening along the border.

But why are you not blaming Rajnath Singh ? The Assam-Nagaland border, he said, was a disputed subject and the area was controlled by the Centre with the help of CRPF, a 'neutral' force which 'failed' to provide security to the people and properties there.

The Centre, he charged, is not taking the issue 'seriously'.

He condemned the police action against protesters at Rangajan on Tuesday and said the government will order an inquiry.

"A few policemen might be at fault but for that the entire force cannot be blamed.

The Assam police is still one of the best police force in the country" .

"People in the border still have confidence in Assam Police and not in the central force.

They want replacement of the CRPF by Assam Police ...

If the border is given to me, I will show how to protect people," Gogoi claimed.

The current protests were a fallout of the killing of nine persons on 12 August at Uriamghat in the district in firing by alleged miscreants from neighbouring Nagaland.

Over 200 houses were torched rendering 10,000 people homeless.

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