Violence unabated in Assam

Scattered violence continued for the sixth day in riot-torn lower Assam districts where one person was killed in police firing while four persons were injured in an attack by a group of persons in Baksa district.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi arrived in Kokrajhar on Thursday to review the situation in the riot-affected areas where tension prevailed.

Kokrajhar district executive magistrate Bipul Saikia was injured in an attack by unidentified assailants and his vehicle damaged while he was on his way to visit a relief camp in Bhotgaon Kanchipara area of the district.

In Dhubri district, one person was killed on Wednesday night when the police fired to quell a mob, taking the death toll to 44, IGP (Law and Order) L R Bishnoi said.

Four persons were seriously injured when some persons opened fired at Mussolpur in Baksa district, neighbouring Chirang district.

Stray incidents of violence were reported from Kokrajhar district as well as Chirang, Dhubri and Baksa during Wednesday night.

The Army and the para-military forces were deployed in the area.

The chief minister, who arrived in Kokrajhar at 11.30 AM in a helicopter from Guwahati, is scheduled to review the situation in a meeting with senior police and civil administration officials at the Circuit House. He is also scheduled to meet people displaced from their homes due to the conflict.

Indefinite curfew and shoot-at-sight orders were in force in worst-affected Kokrajhar district, while night curfew was on in Chirang and Dhubri district. 

Nearly two lakh people are taking shelter in 150 relief camps while 11 persons are missing.

Train services, which came to a complete halt for two days, have resumed with three special trains – one each to New Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore – being run from Guwahati to take passengers who were stranded at different places along the route.

“Railway services have resumed fully. The Rajdhani Express, The North East Express and the Kamrup Express left Guwahati on time this morning,” an official of the North East Frontier Railway said.

Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that additional doctors, nurses, mobile medical units and 15 ambulances along with medicine have been sent to the violence-hit districts.

“We will ensure complete health care to all the affected and suffering people. We are quickly arranging for more doctors for the three severely affected districts of Kokrajhar, Dhubri and Chirang,” he said.

Already a team of doctors from Guwahati Medical College was working in Kokrajhar and these are only additional deployment in view of more relief camps, he said.

“We will further deploy two male public health workers and two nurses in each of the relief camps,” he said.

PM to visit violence-hit Assam

Amid continuing violence in parts of Assam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will undertake a visit to the state on Saturday to take stock of the situation and the steps being taken to control it.

Singh is also expected to review the measures taken by the government for relief and rehabilitation, sources said in New Delhi on Thursday.

Lower Assam districts have been witnessing riots for the last six days which has claimed 41 lives and led to dislocation of lakhs of people.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi visited Kokrajhar on Thursday to review the situation in the riot-affected areas where tension prevailed.

Kokrajhar district executive magistrate Bipul Saikia was injured in an attack by unidentified assailants and his vehicle damaged while he was on his way to visit a relief camp in Bhotgaon Kanchipara area of the district.

Army and the para-military forces have mobilised thousands of personnel to contain the situation.

Indefinite curfew and shoot-at-sight orders were in force in worst-affected Kokrajhar district, while night curfew was on in Chirang and Dhubri district