Border tense as police demolish school

Guwahati, Jul 21 (UNI) Asom Police today demolished a school and a house established by Arunachal Pradesh inside Asom territory in Sivasagar district.

IGP (Border) R N Singh told UNI over phone from Sivasagar that the school, christened as Tamlang Government Community School, was set up at Saraipung more than a month back.

The school, inaugurated by the Arunachal Environment Minister about 15 days back, was demolished by a huge police force, which carried out an eviction drive in the area today, the IGP informed.

A house, set up near the school, was also demolished.

A teacher from Arunachal Pradesh was arrested by police.

Additional forces had been deployed in the area to prevent any backlash from the Arunachal side.

The boundary dispute of Asom with its neighbouring states flared up since three persons were killed and several others injured when Naga raiders barged into three Asom villages in Sivasagar on July 4 night, torching houses, killing cattle and assaulting villagers.

The raid continued for hours, propelling the villagers to flee the area.

Tension spread to the Sadiya and Jorhat in Upper Assam after suspected encroachers attacked villagers in Asom.

Southern Asom's Hailakandi and Silchar areas also continued to be tense in the wake of encroachments and strikes from Mizoram.

Non-Mizo residents in Aizawl's Bagha area remained indoors since yesterday fearing backlash after a non-Mizo was killed by suspected miscreants of Asom.

UNI