Bhimajuli burning with simmering tension
A simmering situation is what prevails at Bhimajuli area in Sonitpur district on Monday a day after armed NDFB rebels gunned down at least 12 villagers where over 20 others have been injured.
The angry residents in the tiny hamlet spilled into the streets with bows and sharp arrows in their hands and prevented CRPF jawans from entering in the village. Some other residents have set on fire the vehicle of a magistrate as it was on the way to the village. Some of them set ablaze as many as 25 Boro houses in retaliation to this strike by the Boro rebel outfit. This has forced policemen on duty to resort to blank firing to disperse the mob.
Assam DGP Shankar Baruah even was not allowed to go into the area by the angry mob who said they need no longer government security measures. This incident took place after his convoy was attacked.
In yet another incident, three youths were burnt alive at Dilchang village to make the situation more tense.
A full scale operation is underway by army, para military forces in the dense jungles of the area bordering Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
A worried Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has rushed three ministers to assess the situation after holding a high level meeting with top ranked police officials at his residence. Dr Bhumidhar Barman, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma and Bharat Narah are camping in the district to monitor the situation.
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Starting from the British era to post-colonial period, the area has witnessed either politically-motivated or commercially-motivated immigration.
The British settled Nepali graziers for milk production in forest areas where Bodos and Misings lived. The British also brought Bengali petty officials to work in their govt offices and railway stations.
The next phase was in and around 1947. Bengali Hindus from East Bengal (now Bangladesh) poured into the small towns and townships of Assam and set up petty business and shops.
Next, in 1971. Successive state govts in connivance with the central govt settled Bangladeshi refugees in the riverine areas, forest areas and plains of the North Bank.
These populations multiplied gradually. Because all these communities are hardworking, they flourished and had gained a firm grip over the economy of the area, be it in the agricultural sector or trade and commerce. The natives being incompetent and inefficient lost out to these settlers.
And now, this frustration…and terrorist activities.
But are these migrants only to be blamed? If the ‘Bhumiputra’ insurgent had taken to the plough and trade and commerce, migrants would have left gradually on their own.
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