Title - Shoot-at-sight order in Kokrajhar

KOKRAJHAR/GOLAKGANJ/BONGAIGAON  – The Kokrajhar district administration imposed shoot-at-sight order during the indefinite curfew that has been extended from 5 pm today to bring the volatile situation under control as the violence tended to go out of control due to repeated incidents of attacks and counter-attacks, informed SN Singh, IGP, BTAD. An alert has been sounded in ten districts of Assam following communal violence in the Bodoland area, officials said Monday. To stop the violence from spreading, the state government has sounded alert in ten districts on the north bank of the Brahmaputra river, an official said.Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has directed ministers Nilamoni Sen Deka and Prithivi Majhi to rush to Kokrajhar tomorrow, even as an all-party delegation of the Assam Assembly will visit the trouble-torn areas on Wednesday.Police fired several rounds in the air to disperse an agitated mob proceeding towards Kokrajhar town this evening.Fresh incidents of violence were reported from certain areas of Kokrajhar district namely Fakiragram, Serfanguri, Narabari, Gossaigaon, Dotma, Mokrapara, Tulsibil etc., since last night as agitated mobs burnt down houses, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes and take shelter in relief camps.

A large number of people from the minority community detained the Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express for around five hours this morning at Protap Khata between Kokrajhar and Gossaigaon railway stations demanding compensation, security and protection of the people. They also flayed the government for its failure to bring the situation under control. Train services remained disrupted along the route for several hours, before being restored at noon after security forces intervened.

Meanwhile, on the direction of the Chief Minister, ministers Rockybul Hussain and Nazrul Islam today arrived in Kokrajhar to take stock of the situation in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts.

Both the ministers visited some affected areas and relief camps and appealed to the people to maintain peace. They also met BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary and other leaders of the district, including students leaders. They also held a closed-door discussion with top officials of the district administration and security forces as several organisations have alleged failure of the district administration and security forces to maintain law and order.

Meanwhile, the Centre has rushed 15 companies of Central paramilitary forces to Kokrajhar to help in controlling the situation.
Curfew in Dhubri: Meanwhile, several incidents of violence were reported from Gauripur, Golakganj and Dhubri on Monday. Curfew has been clamped with immediate effect in Dhubri, Gauripur, Golakganj and Tamarhat Police Stations areas. A two-hour relief from 7-45 pm to 9-45 pm has been approved for the Muslim people as the Ramzan month is on and they have to go to the mosque for prayers.A tense situation prevailed in Gauripur town during a 12-hour AAMSU-sponsored bandh as the bandh supporters forced the businessmen to close down their shops and the latter refused to do so. A similar situation prevailed in Golakganj town also, forcing the police to resort to 10 rounds of blank fire.In Dhubri a Bodo students’ hostel situated at Dhubri Bidyapara was burnt down by miscreants. One part of the hostel was completely gutted and another part was ransacked by the miscreants. A fire tender that rushed to the spot was surrounded by an irate mob and one fire brigade worker was badly injured. As the situation tended to go out of control P Saloi, SP, Dhubri along with CRPF personnel rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.Meanwhile, Enamul Hoque, general secretary of AAMSU’s Dhubri district committee, said that they had withdrawn the bandh midway as they were in discussion with the government regarding the burning issue.Tension in Chirang district: Tension gripped Chirang district due to growing clashes between two communities, even as miscreants torched two villages- Nepalpara and Besorbari in the evening hours today, besides creating panic in Narayanpur, Jaipur, Motherpur villages.Miscreants exchanged fire with security forces and torched two villages near Ouguri. At Amguri panic- stricken villagers have taken shelter at Amguri Police Station since the evening hours. On the other hand, some villagers have been shifted reportedly towards northern areas near Bhutan border.In Bijni town most of the people of violence-hit areas have taken shelter at safer places. Between curfew hours this evening miscreants reportedly attacked and torched Rajpara near Amguri and Narayanpur village. Sounds of firing and explosion could be heard from some villages of northern part of Chirang district, villagers informed.