Assam-Nagaland border still tense, Gogoi seeks PM's intervention

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to personally intervene to restore peace in Uriamghat area along the Assam-Nagaland border where 11 persons were killed and seven injured in major violence on August 12 and August 13.

Despite night curfew continuing, tension continues to grip the areas along troubled B sector on the Assam-Nagaland border.

In a sporadic incident Friday one person suffered bullet injuries when some miscreants from Nagaland chased a group of people and fired at them in the Roman Basti area in Assam, police said.

Gogoi had earlier spoken to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh who had sent two CRPF companies for deployment along the Assam-Nagaland border and to assist the CRPF personnel already deployed there as a neutral force since 1979. The CRPF had been stationed there as the area falls under the Disturbed Area Belt (DAB) along the inter-state boundary between Assam and Nagaland.

In his letter to the Prime Minister Gogoi sought ten additional companies of CRPF to beef up security and set up pickets in the affected villages.

"The personnel deployed should be directed to take stern action proactively against the miscreants or extremists in an unbiased manner," Gogoi said in his letter.

He also pointed to the failure of the neutral force to deal with the situation and said that there would not have been the shocking loss of life and property had the neutral force been 'prompt, proactive and unbiased' in handling the situation.

"The CRPF deployed in the disputed area belt has failed miserably in protecting the poor villagers of Assam. The situation, therefore, needs to be contained promptly so that violence does not spread to other areas," he added.

The chief minister said the area affected by the recent violence falls in the 'B' sector of the DAB and is located within the constitutional boundary of Assam.

Gogoi, while narrating the entire incident, said that though there had been sporadic incidents in the area in the last couple of decades, the current violence perpetrated by Naga miscreants has been of greater magnitude, claiming several lives and rendering thousands homeless.

"The incident of violence has created fear and panic among the people living in the disputed area. Over 10,000 panic stricken villagers have taken shelter in 13 relief camps set up by the Golaghat district administration. Protest demonstrations are continuing in different parts of the state over the incident," Gogoi said in the letter.

Gogoi said that he had taken up the matter with the Union Home Minister and was closely monitoring the situation. "We are extending full cooperation to the neutral force and are in continuous touch with the government of Nagaland for controlling the situation," he said.

The chief minister also urged the Prime Minister to hold meetings at the political and official levels urgently to discuss measures for restoring peace in the area. "We strongly desire the restoration of peace, amity and harmony in our border areas with Nagaland," he added.