Assam CM to visit NC Hills tomorrow to assess situation

Haflong, Nov 4 (UNI) Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi will visit North Cachar(NC) Hills district tomorrow to take stock of the situation where 11 people, including a Congress candidate and nine security personnel, were killed by Dimasa rebels over the last two days.

Mr Gogoi also reviewed the situation in the district at his official residence in Guwahati this evening, while the district civil and police administration held separate meetings here with political parties, NGOs and community leaders to ensure that the killings were not given any communal colour.

As many as seven CRPF jawans were killed in an ambush on Friday and another four persons, including a Congress candidate for the NC Hills District Autonomous Council (NCHDAC) election and his driver and two PSOs, yesterday.

The anti-talks faction of the Dima Halom Daogah(DHD), also known as Black Widow, is suspected to be behind both the ambush. The elections for the NCHDAC were slated for November 26 and December 1 next and the killings have raised apprehensions about its timely conduct.

NC Hills Deputy Commissioner(DC) Anil Kumar Barua convened an all-party meeting today in Haflong, attended by the Congress and the BJP-ASDC (Autonomous State Demand Committee) alliance leadership.

The BJP-ASDC urged that the election should not be postponed further and demanded a CBI enquiry into the killings and additional security cover in the district.

District Congress president GC Langthasa was out of station and could not attend the meeting, with other district party leaders representing Congress.

The NCHDAC election, originally scheduled for June 12, had to be postponed after the outgoing Chief Executive Member(CEM) of the NCHDAC Purnendu Langthasa and another EM were shot dead by DHD militants on June 4 during campaigning. Congress had headed the previous council.

The DC later held separate meetings with the NGOs and apex bodies and community leaders and urged the organisations and individuals to ensure that no communal flare up takes place due to yesterday's killing of the Congress leader, who was a member of the Hmar community.

The district Superintendent of Police and Deputy Inspector General (southern range) were also present during the meetings.

Meanwhile, an uneasy calm prevailed over the district today after two days of successive bloodshed.

Headquarter town of Haflong witnessed a spontaneous bandh in protest against the killings.

UNI