Tension remains in Upper Asom

Guwahati, May 15 (UNI) Simmering tension has been gripping the curfew clamped greater Doomdoma area of Upper Asom but there was no report of any fresh incidents since last night.

Official sources said patrolling has been on in the place while political leaders and senior citizens were trying to allay the rumour of fresh violence in the area.

At present there was no road blockade in the National Highway and trucks were crossing the area under police escort opening the supply line to Arunachal Pradesh, which has been reeling under severe food crisis due to the blockade, which eventually sparked the ethnic clash.

Altogether eight persons died in the violence and about 11 others were seriously injured as the authorities had clamped curfew in Doomdoma, Kakopathar, Dholla and Pengeri police station areas.

The political parties were making a bee line to the affected areas during the day. While the AUDF delegation has reached there, the AGP has sent a nine-member delegation. The government was contemplating its own team by tomorrow.

The opposition political parties blamed the government for the incidents saying that it helped fuelling the violence by allowing the rumours to spread about ration supply.

The trouble began when the tea garden labourers, unable to procure their weekly ration because of the National Highway blockade, attacked the protestors. The sources said the ULFA backed protestors who had been blocking the National Highway for past seven days following the death of an innocent farmer, were pelted stones by the tea garden labourers.

The blockade began with the killing of one Buddheswar Moran by Army on May 5 last. He was first declared as an ULFA leader but later Army was forced to retract and apologise while admitting that it was a mistake killing Moran as he was an innocent person. This led to indefinite blockade of the National Highway.

Tinsukia Deputy Commissioner A K Afsar Hazarika confirmed that the situation was brought under control. Tinsukia district has remained as the most volatile one of Asom, as it is a stronghold of ULFA.

UNI