Bodoland tense, NDFB kills top BLT militants

Guwahati, July 5 (UNI) Bodoland sits on volcano as the NDFB today killed two former Bodo Liberation Tiger(BLT) militants at Karbi Anglong.

The BLT, now the ruling partner of the Asom Government, has called for a state-wide bandh on July 7 against the killing of their Karbi Anglong president D Basumataray and vice-president Bijay Basumataray The incident occurred at Langhin in Karbi Anglong, where Bodos have a very strong presence. The former BLT cadres were killed at broad daylight in the Langhin market by the NDFB militants, police said.

The report suggested that former BLT militants had been at loggerheads over the extortion notice served on the small traders by the NDFB. This led to the threatening and then the killings, alleged president of the ex-BLT welfare association Janmmohan Basumtary at Kokrajhar.

This was the first major killing of the BLT leaders by the NDFB in the recent years. The BLT joined the mainstream by contesting elections and was now ruling the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) as well as became the coalition partner of the Government.

On the other hand the ceasefire with the NDFB had been renewed for six months recently and negotiation with them had not yet started as the militants had been staying at designated camps.

The NDFB had been maintaining extortion rackets throughout the Bodo-dominated areas to carry out their operation.

Ex-BLT welfare association chairman Janmohan Basurtary today told newspersons at Kokrajhar that the state government must pay Rs five lakh to kin of the deceased as compenstation.

The incident is bound to have a serious repercussion as the BLT and NDFB have been at loggerheads for long and their battle for supremacy has reached the political level also with BLT emerging as supreme at the moment.

UNI MT SJC AK ND1740