Three killed in violence in Upper Asom, indefinite curfew imposed

Guwahati, May 13 (UNI) At least three people were killed in clashes between ULFA supporters and the general public in Upper Asom today following which indefinite curfew was imposed in three police stations areas of Doomdooma, Dholla and Kakopathar.

According to official sources here, the ULFA-backed protestors who had been blocking National Highway for the past seven days, following the death of a farmer, were pelted stones at by angry tea garden labourers who were unable to procure food supplies following the road blockade.

Official sources have confirmed the death of one tea garden labourer, but eyewitness reports said three people were killed, including one protestor.

The police was forced to open fire in the air to control the mob. However, by then much damage had been done.

An eerie silence had now gripped the whole of Doomdoma town and only security force vehicles were moving in these highly ULFA-affected areas of east Asom.

The Upper Asom Commissioner Hemanta Narzary said at least five people were injured and added that it is feared that the situation may escalate further.

Ten more people were later reported to be injured. Amongst them Jiten Gogoi and Bidydhar Gogoi were admitted in the Tinsukia civil hospital while the dead was identified as Hiralal Panokya of Daimukhia tea estate of the Tinsukia district.

Commissioner Narzary could not, however, confirm the death of the other two.

The road blockade on the National Highway has created food shortage in Arunachal Pradesh, as well as Sadiya areas of Asom. This has angered the common public.

The blockade began with the killing of one Buddheswar Moran by the Army on May 5. He was first declared as an ULFA leader, but later the Army was forced to retract and apologise, while admitting that it was an accidental killing and that he was an ''innocent'' person.

This had led to the indefinite blockade of the National Highway.

The state government ordered two inquiries into the matter and released compensation for those affected. Cremation have also been held but the ULFA-backed protestors continued to block the National Highway demanding visit of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

The seven-day blockade had stopped all traffic beyond Doomdooma town cutting the supply chain to the nearby tea garden as well as two major districts of Arunachal Pradesh.

''We tried to persuade them and did not want into any confrontation,'' said Asom Government Spokesman Dr Himanta Biswa Sharma, adding that he was in constant touch with the agitators trying to find an amicable solution as Mr Gogoi was not in a position to visit them at this moment.

However, this afternoon trouble began when hundreds of tea garden labourers from the surrounding areas attacked the 300 odd agitators blocking the National Highway.

They pelted stones and forced their way into the blockade zone.

After the Tinsukia district administration became aware that more tea gardens laboures would attack the agitators here they quickly swung into action and declared indefinite curfew, said District Magistrate A K Afsar Hazarika.

The army had already started making some headway and the civil authorities were trying to send supplies to Arunachal from tomorrow morning to ease the food crisis.

Tension has been brewing in the whole area as the army and para military forces have been maintaining tight vigil in all the three police station areas.

UNI