Assam sits tight as statewide bandh starts on violent note

Guwahati, Nov 26 (UNI) The All Assam Adivasi Students' Association (AAASA)-sponsored 36-hour ''Assam Bandh'' to protest Saturday's clash began on a bloody note today even as Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi ordered a judicial inquiry by a retired high court judge into the incident.

Mr Gogoi told UNI that some of the main culprits had already been arrested.

The AAASA-sponsored bandh to protest the injury of its supporters and killing of one of its activists in retaliatory violence by an angry public in Beltola area here crippled life, particularly in the tea belts.

As the bandh started at 0500 hours this morning, adivasi protestors set ablaze two vehicles at Karigaon in Kokrajhar district on NH 37, killing one onthe spot and injuring two.

The two injured were being brought to Guwahati in a critical condition.

Picketers were reported to have assembled in several parts of the state, including near Kokrajhar and Naharkatia, but police intervention saw the people return home and any untoward incident was averted.

Sporadic incidents were reported from various places.

The bandh protagonists made an abortive attempt to set abalze a truck near the Assam-West Bengal border in Srirampur. Picketers also pelted stones at buses in Dibrugarh and Nagaon areas.

Traffic along the National Highway was allowed with police escort. Train movement had not been affected so far.

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