EMN
Dimapur, February 3
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he All Assam Gorkha Students Union (AAGSU), the apex influential organisation of Gorkha students and youth of Assam, today imposed total economic and road blockade in various National Highways leading to Arunachal Pradesh in protest against gruesome killing of 13 innocent villagers and injuring severely several others by suspected Arunachali miscreants along the Assam-Arunachal Border at Chawuldhuwa village under Behali Reserve Forest of Sonitpur District of Assam last week.Himan Subba, Prabhat Subba, Bhalu Subba, Tamrukhel Subba, Ganesh Newar , Rupsang Munda, Moneswar Brahma along with six others and several others injured, said Nanda Kirati Dewan , publicity secretary AAGSU in Guwahati.
‘AAGSU District Units of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivsagar, Jorhat, Golaghat and Karbianglong completely jammed the National Highway 37 leading to Arunachal Pradesh in various places of the districts. Several District and Regional Units of AAGSU throughout Assam also joined the road and economic blockade programme. A common memorandum through the respective Deputy Commissioners of the districts were sent to the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi demanding immediate justice to the innocent villagers who were killed in the incident and compensate with adequate compensation not less than 25 lakhs for the deceased and 5 lakhs to the injured for better treatment.
The memorandum also sought immediate intervention in settling the inter-state border dispute with Assam and adjoining states Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya and provide security to border side and reserve forests dwellers and who have been prone to illegal encroachers and antisocial elements. Dewan has criticized the Government of Assam for failing to provide security and justice after the incident.
The AAGSU has strongly objected to the Union Joint Secretary (Home) for NE Sambhu Singh’s denial in providing paramilitary forces for Behali Reserve Forest area where such a gruesome killing had taken placed and continued to grip under fear psychosis till date. “There is an immediate need to set up permanent police out posts as well as paramilitary forces to oversee security angles till issues are settled’, Nanda Kirati Dewan, said AAGSU publicity secretary. He alleged that the State and Union governments have taken the issue lightly though they assume third party involvement and the Chief Minister have directed a CBI enquiry.
AAGSU president Udoy Singh Limboo from Makum in Tinsukia from a road blockade programme said, ‘We issue an ultimatum of three more days to book the culprits and perpetuators of this gruesome attack and ensure safety and security of the natives immediately and announce compensation as demanded otherwise the AAGSU along with all community organization and civil society organisations will call indefinite economic blockade along Assam-Arnachal Pradesh border throughout Assam demanding justice and resolving all the border disputes. He added that besides upper Assam, blockades are being held at Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, Nagoan, Morigoan, Kamrup, Goalpara and BTC region except Barak valley.
Limboo has lambasted Home Department incharge and chief minister Tarun Gogoi for delay in CBI enquiry and lawlessness in the state saying, ‘ Mere ordering an enquiry is not sufficient, we want actions not words, we have heard enough from the chief minister. When lives are lost, politics cannot be a chief minister’s priority. AAGSU requested the chief minister to immediately address all the demands mentioned in memorandum that is being sent from several district headquarters today following the road and economic blockade.
AAGSU Advisor Dil Bahadur Limboo has appealed the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAGSU) counterpart not to retaliate against Gorkha population of Arunachal Pradesh as he said they are protesting against the governments who have kept border issue alive for their political gain. AAGSU’s protest is not against Arunachal Pradesh or its people. It is against the governments who have not responded to people’s voice, it added.
