Security personnel rushed to upper Asom

Guwahati, May 16 (UNI) Security forces have been rushed to trouble-torn upper Asom today amid reports of violence spreading to Sibsagar and Dibrugarh districts following the death of six more people last night.

Talking to reporters here today, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said, ''ULFA is trying to divert the attention to other districts targetting Hindi-speaking community. It is an old design and we are fully prepared. We have asked the Union Home Ministry to send back the 40 companies taken from us for the Uttar Pradesh elections.'' In his statement, he also confirmed the deaths of six Hindi-speaking people in Dibrugarh and Sibsagar districts yesterday.

The first incident occurred in Belbari near Tengakhat in Dibrugarh district in which five people-Kripal Singh, Siv Nath Thakur, Kalash Thakur, Ramesh Singh and Raghunath Singh-- were killed.

In another incident near Borahat railway station, one Babulal Shah was killed.

''It is very difficult to protect everyone since ULFA are targetting soft targets. Their intention is to be in news by attacking Hindi-speaking people. But that will not serve any purpose. Our government will remain tough. But I appeal to them to shun violence'' he said.

The Chief Minister further said ULFA wanted to divert the focus of the government from Doomdoma, which was witness to unfortunate incidents of ethnic clashes. ''I blame ULFA and PCPIA for instigating ordinary people and creating a situation which led to the deaths of innocent people,'' he added.

Meanwhile curfew has been relaxed in Doomodoma area of Tinsukia district which saw ethnic clashes leading to the death of seven people.

The district administration had brought the situation under control and the state government today announced that it would no longer be ''lenient''.

''ULFA and their over-ground organisations are provoking us to go tough so that they can emerge as hero. I must admit that I am in a tight corner handling these,'' Mr Gogoi said, while admitting that over-ground organisations like PCPIA had been using the human right angle cleverly.

The Asom government was in touch with the Bihar government after last night's killing of six Bihari people.

''The Chief Secretary is talking to his counterpart in Bihar,'' the Chief Minister said.

Meanwhile ULFA in their mouth piece ''Freedom'' asked the army to ''go back to the barracks'' and alleged that ethnic violence was created by the Asom government using tea garden labourers to instigate them.

ULFA also urged both the tea garden labourers and the Assamese community in the Moran area to stop fighting.

UNI