The bandh was called to demand the dissolution of the autonomous Bodoland Territorial Council and the arrest of its chief and former rebel leader Hagrama Mahillary.
A 12-hour-long ‘Assam bandh’, called by the All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) and other groups under the banner of United Movement for Peoples’ Rights on Tuesday, turned violent leaving one person dead and dozen others injured.
The bandh was called to demand the dissolution of the autonomous Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) and the arrest of its chief and former rebel leader Hagrama Mahillary. The BTC was created after the signing of the Bodo Accord in 2003 between the central government and erstwhile militant group Bodo Liberation Tigers.
The bandh supporters blocked rail traffic, pelted stones at vehicles and fought pitched battles with the police and public at many places. Several TV journalists and camerapersons were injured after they were attacked by the bandh activists at Goalpara, Barpeta Road, Sonitpur and Sivasagar. Media organisations in the state condemned the attacks.
At Barpeta Road in Barpeta district, a 50-year-old man died and 27 others were injured when the bandh supporters clashed with traders. The protestors also set ablaze some shops. Similar clashes were reported from Ambagan area of Nagaon district. Some shopkeepers were also injured here.
At Jogighopa in Bongaigaon district, the protestors blocked a national highway to disrupt traffic. Initially, the police fired in the air to restore normalcy. When it did not work, they fired rubber bullets in which at least nine bandh activists were injured.
At Tezpur in Sonitpur district, the bandh supporters clashed with the police and damaged the official vehicles of two police officers. Indefinite curfews were imposed in all these places. Sporadic incidents of violence were also reported from Dhubri, Morigaon, Nagaon and Sibsagar districts.
The violence on Tuesday came a day after unidentified gunmen went on a shooting spree in four areas of Kokrajhar district on Monday night that left one dead and six others injured.
A beleaguered chief minister Tarun Gogoi appealed to all sections of the society to extend their cooperation towards restoring peace and normalcy.“The violence has tarnished the image of Assam and India. I appeal to all including the public, media and intellectuals to extend their support and cooperation to us at this hour of crisis,” Gogoi told journalists here.
He urged the opposition parties to restrain their ‘followers’ saying he was not happy with the way the parties were conducting themselves. “There is an atmosphere of distrust and suspicion everywhere. I appeal to all sections to refrain from making provocative statements,” he said.
The chief minister warned elements including militants involved in the violence that they would be dealt with firmly and punished as according to law. He said he had already given instructions to officials in this regard.“This is not a time to call bandh. Bandhs are only aggravating the situation,” he told groups and organisations.
The chief minister also said that additional security forces and columns of the army had been rushed to the affected districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri districts.
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