Upper Asom trembles with fear, tension, cold

Tinsukia, Asom, Jan 8 (UNI) Fear of attacks from ULFA and reprisals from Hindi speaking community, amidst continuous movement of armed forces besides biting cold have gripped Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts of Asom.

The authorities of both the districts, busy with the counter insurgency operations, are fearing the worst, a communal flare up.

''It is fact that some people are trying to divide the society using communal line. In fact a SMS campaign is on in Tinsukia where the Hindi-speaking population is very high. We are on alert,'' said Asom Government Spokesman Dr Himanta Biswa Sharma, who is also the Health Minister of the State.

With all the 66 dead in the last three days belonging to Hindi speaking community, there is an open division visible amongst the Assamese speaking and non-Assamese speaking people, with latter feeling that former was not doing enough to help them in this hour of crisis.

Realising the gravity, the Asom Sahitya Sabha, the apex literary organisation has moved in quickly to bridge the gap. ''This is the most cowardly way to target innocent labourers, who have come here to earn money,'' said Sabha President Kanak Sen Deka.

There is a shrill campaign going on reminding people through SMS that Delhi is shaken only when Hindi speaking people are targetted. ''UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has not found time to come to Asom when there was Karbi Anglong violence, but she rushed to Malegaon and Nitihari. Are we children of lesser gods,'' questioned former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.

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