Wary of return of communal violence in Bodoland area in Assam, the Centre has put the Assam government on high alert asking it to deploy army and central armed police forces in adequate strength to book miscreants, seize illegal arms to restore normalcy at the earliest.
Wary of return of communal violence in Bodoland area in Assam, the Centre has put the Assam government on high alert asking it to deploy army and central armed police forces in adequate strength to book miscreants, seize illegal arms to restore normalcy at the earliest.
Reflecting the concern shown by prime minister Manmohan Singh, who spoke to Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday, the Union home ministry on Friday asked all the 65 companies of paramilitary forces to be present in four Bodoland districts and carry out operations and searches to arrest troublemakers and seize all illegal arms.
Intermittent communal clashes in Bodoland area, especially Kokrajhar district, have claimed six lives in last five days thus reviving the fear of a revival of communal strife in Assam that left 90 people dead in July and August this year.
Sources said the ministry has also requested the defence ministry to make available army to carry out specific operations and hunt down troublemakers who according to Intelligence inputs could be from the anti-talks groups of National democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB).
There are indications, sources said, of some extremist Bodo outfits trying to revive communal violence so that the agenda to drive immigrant Muslims out could again gain prominence in Assam and help in reviving insurgency in Assam.
In its advisory, the Centre said police, paramilitary and army personnel must be put on high alert and deployed in violence-hit areas to maintain peace.
In the advisory sent to the Centre has told the state government to launch a special drive to seize illegal arms believed to be in the possession of warring groups and further instructed to sensitize the district administrations to requisition armed personnel without delay at the time of an outbreak of violence.
Curfew was clamped in Kokrajhar town yesterday after one person was shot dead and a trader was injured in an attack by armed people, taking the toll to six since November 10.
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