Tarun Gogoi urges Rajnath Singh to deploy SSB along Assam-Naga border

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to initiate immediate measures to deploy Sashtra Seema Bal (SSB) as a neutral force in the affected villages along its border with Nagaland.

"Necessary suitable directions may be passed to the Government of Nagaland and SSB authorities for ensuring early return of the affected families from the relief camps," he said in a letter to the Union Minister.

Gogoi pointed out the urgent need to rehabilitate the displaced persons at the earliest as delay to their homes "may further aggravate the law and order situation in the state....Sooner the people return to their villages, the better it is for maintenance of the law and order situation."

The chief minister also expressed concern over the alleged presence of Nagaland Armed Police in some villages in the disputed area and requested Singh to ensure withdrawal of the forces from the villages immediately. He also reviewed the prevailing law and order situation along the Assam-Nagaland border with senior officials at his official residence last night, officials in the chief minister's office said.

Officials of the Home and Political Department and Assam Police informed the Chief Minister that some Naga villagers backed by NSCN militants were creating obstruction in the process of rehabilitation of the displaced persons, thus creating a sense of insecurity and panic among villagers.

Eleven persons were killed along the Assam-Nagaland border in Golaghat district since August 12 and nearly 10,000 people had taken shelter in relief camps. Of them 5,700 have so far returned to their villages while 4,167 are still in the camps, the officials said.