Assam govt mulls arming Muslims in Bodo areas

GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Sunday was thinking of arming Bengali-speaking Muslims in Bodo areas with licensed guns and asked for applications from villagers even as the situation in Kokrajhar and Baksa returned to normal with no reports of fresh violence. However, security forces intensified their operations against National Democratic Front of Boroland militants with three guerrillas killed in two encounters in northern Assam's Sonitpur and Udalguri districts on Sunday.

Police recovered three pistols, two grenades and some incriminating documents from the slain militants. DIG (NR) Subhrajyoti Hazarika confirmed this, saying, "The Sonitpur encounter took place in the morning while the Udalguri incident occurred around 1.15pm on Sunday." The death toll in the current killings by NDFB(Songbijit) group rose to 34 after two more bodies of Bengali-speaking Muslims were recovered from Beki river in Baksa district.

Cops also fired in the air to disperse crowds in Narayanguri in Baksa district as they gathered in protest and refused to bury 18 of those killed on Friday, demanding a visit by chief minister Tarun Gogoi. Hours later, the last rites were performed after the border development minister assured them Gogoi would visit the village once the code of conduct was  eneral A P Raut said, "The situation is fast improving. We've relaxed curfew in some places today. Tomorrow, we will relax it in Baksa. We have handed over the investigation into the killings to the special task force till NIA probe is cleared by the Centre."

State forest minister Rockybul Hussain said Bengali-speaking Muslim villagers should be given licensed arms by the state government for self defence. "Since the home department in Bodoland Territorial Council area is under the state government, the government can provide licensed arms if anyone applies for it."

National Highway 37, which wore a deserted look over the last four days, saw traffic once again. But Jamiat-e-Ulema (Hind) leader Mahmood Madani, in Guwahati, demanded the Congress government break its links to the Bodoland People's Front. "People suspect BPF's hand in these killings and in that case, the Congress should not run the government with them," Madani said.

The police have arrested 26 people so far and five cases have been registered in connection with the violent incidents in BTAD. A relief camp has been established by the Baksa district administration where 498 people from the violence-affected areas under Gobardhana have taken shelter. Protests continued in Barak Valley of Assam. A dawn-to-dusk bandh in Hailakandi district on Sunday disrupted life.

Meanwhile, NIA sources said they will discuss the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) violence with the Assam government on Monday. NIA is likely to sit for a detailed discussion with the state home department in Dispur and draw up a strategy to probe the recent violence in BTAD. Rahul kumar gupta  PGDm,1st Year                                         Souirce:- Mint