Correspondent
Guwahati, August 16
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal intervention in restoring peace at the trouble-torn Assam-Nagaland border in Golaghat district.
In a letter to Modi, Gogoi also sought additional 10 companies of the CRPF for rapid reinforcement of security along with setting up of security pickets in the affected villages. “The personnel deployed should be directed to take stern action proactively against the miscreants/extremists in an unbiased manner,” he said.The Chief Minister said the area affected by the latest spectre of violence falls in the ‘B’ sector of the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) and ‘located within the constitutional boundary of Assam’.
While narrating the entire incident, Gogoi pointed out that though there had been sporadic incidents in the area in the last couple of decades, the current violence perpetrated by Naga miscreants has been of greater magnitude, claiming several lives and rendering thousands homeless. Over 10,000 panic-stricken villagers have taken shelter in 13 relief camps opened by the Golaghat district administration, he said.
“The incident has created fear and panic among the people living in the disputed area. Protest demonstrations are continuing in different parts of the state,” he said, adding “there would not have been shocking loss of lives and property had the neutral force been ‘prompt, proactive and unbiased’ in handling the situation.
The CRPF deployed in the disputed area belt has failed miserably in protecting the poor villagers of Assam. The situation, therefore, needs to be contained promptly so that violence does not spread to other areas”. The Chief Minister said he had taken up the matter with the Union Home Minister and was closely monitoring the situation.
“We are extending full cooperation to the neutral force and are in continuous touch with the Nagaland government for controlling the situation,” he said. The CM also urged Modi to hold a meeting at the political and official levels urgently to discuss measures for restoring peace in the area.
“We strongly desire the restoration of peace, amity and harmony in our border areas with Nagaland,” he added.
