Bandh called after terror in NC Hills

Haflong, June 6 (UNI) Consecutive bandhs called by political parties have paralysed life in the trouble-torn North Cachar(NC) Hills district, even as a member of the autonomous council remain untraced for three days.

The Congress has called a bandh in Umrangsu town, the centre of violence which erupted in June 4, today while the BJP-ASDC combine has called a 10-hour Karbi Anglong district bandh tomorrow in protest against the series of killing of political leaders by rebels of the DHD (Jewel Garlosa faction).

Tension ran high in the district with education institutions remaining closed since the last two days.

The North Cachar Hills Autonomous District Council(NCHADC) election was postponed after the Asom Cabinet yesterday recommended it to Governor Lt Gen (retd) Ajai Singh.

The Cabinet had reviewed the situation in the NC Hills after three top Congress leaders of the NCHADC, including its chief, were killed by suspected DHD (J) militants in the past two days.

The killed persons were all candidates for the election.

CEM Purendu Langthasa, equivalent to Cabinet minister rank, and EM Nindu Langthasa were invited by the militants for ''discussion'' at Longei Basti near Umrangso police station and shot them dead June 4.

The CEM is the eldest son of former state Cabinet minister and senior Congress MLA G C Langthasa, whose second son was also killed by militants two years back.

The body of deputy chairman of the autonomous district council Ajit Bodo was recovered in the wee hours June 5, after he was kidnapped on June 3.

A member of the autonomous council, Prafulla Phalla, who was also a candidate in the elections, is missing since June 4.

Additional forces have already been deployed in the district, with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi instructing the Southern Range DIG to furnish the requirements of additional forces to maintain law and order situation in the district.

The Governor and Mr Gogoi, along with police and army officials, had met at a stock-taking meeting in Haflong, the headquarter town of NC Hills district, yesterday.

Significantly, the elder brother of DHD head Jewel Garlosa is contesting the same election as a Congress candidate and would have been a potential rival to the slain CEM for the job of the district council.

Reports suggest that a dissident group within the DHD faction had carried out the killings as speculations were rife that Jewel Garlosa would have come to the talks table if his brother was offered the CEM's job.

Lobbying in Congress top quarters had indicated a positive response towards the rebel leader's brother getting the job.

UNI