Bodoland burns: Assam still tense

Bodoland burns: Assam still tense

Thomas D’Silva

Bongaigaon, July 27: The violent clashes between the Bodos and the Muslim immigrants continued and spread leaving 58 dead and over two lakh homeless in Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) in Western Assam. While Chief Minister Tarun  Gogoi blamed it on the Centre and the Opposition, the Centre was quick to act by setting up a 10-member coordination committee.

At Mongalia Bazaar Camp,  near Bijni in  the dt. of Chirang

Even as epicenter of the conflict were the districts of Kokrajhar and Chirang accounting to 40 deaths,  the ripple effects in the neighboring districts of Dhubri and Baksa too were felt, as violence and deaths were reported  from those areas.

Though Bodo Territorial Council (BTC) created under the sixth schedule of the Indian Constitution is in place since 2003 under the leadership of Hagrama Mohilary, maintaining law and order falls under the state government of Assam. Obviously the buck stops at Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s desk who also is the Home Minister.

Mistrust, conflict, violent clashes and so called ‘ethnic-cleansing’ is not new in the BTAD region. Ever since the Bodoland agitation from 1987, there have been waves of such conflicts, in which the migrant Muslims were a major target. Ownership of land was one of the main reasons and it will always be.

But the triggering point it is reported was when two Muslim youths, Nurul Haque and Mazibur Rahman, were allegedly shot dead by the cadres of the now disbanded Bodoland Liberation Tigers (BLT) on 6^th July. Then on the 20^th July, four members of the erstwhile BLT were hacked to death by unidentified persons in Joypur outside Kokrajhar town. Ensuing a full-scale riot involving the migrant Muslims on one side, the Bodo tribals on the other.

Even as 200,000 people from over 400 villages displaces- their houses reduced to ashes, cattle killed, crops untended and fields desolate- the question is- how could those involved in  violence possess and use such sophisticated  firearms? Where is the rule of law? What ‘politics’ or ‘outside elements’ (as alleged) involved?

At Mongalia Camp

Church gets into action:

The Peace and Relief Coordination Committee (PRCC) headed by Bishop Thomas Pulloppillil of Bongaigaon met here today to take stock of the situation and chalk out the plan.

The committee identified- food materials like rice, pulses, salt; tarpaulin for shelter; providing clean drinking water; mosquito nets to protect from malaria and medical attention as the top priority as far as the relief work was concerned.

It also suggested names of some leaders of influence from both the communities who could be involved in exploring the peace process.

The representatives from the diocese led by Fr.Thomas D’Silva, the PRO and the spokesperson met Chirang District Commissioner Upendra Nath Bora and expressed readiness to do the relief works. As per  the agreement, the diocese would begin immediately the medical relief under  H.C.Brama, the Joint Health Director of the district.

Meanwhile, the Bongaigaon Gana Seva Society(BGSS), the social service wing of the diocese is getting ready with a massive relief project. “We are planning a three-phase programme: medical relief, food and shelter and peace building phase”, said Fr. David Antony, the director.