Asom police allegedly demolishes school in Arunachal

Itanagar, July 25 (UNI) The Asom police has allegedly demolished a school building and a house at Tanglam Russa village in Kanubari circle of Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh.

The villagers lodged a complaint to this effect with the IGP (border) of Eastern Zone. They also alleged before Arunachal Pradesh Environment and Forest Minister Newlai Tingkhatra that a battalion of senior Asom police officers were present during the incident, which took place yesterday.

While Arunachal Pradesh and Asom governments have signed an agreement to maintain a status quo along the disputed inter-state border, such atrocities in the name of eviction were a common phenomenon, official sources said.

''As Arunachal government has been providing all assistance to the poor villagers, Asom's claim about the Arunachalees encroaching upon their land is totally unjustified and uncalled for,'' the minister added.

''A high power committee, constituted for settling the boundary dispute, had demarcated the inter-state boundary along the Ladaigarh road in 1979. However, the Asom police penetrated six km inside the Arunachal territory beyond Ladaigarh road to demolish the community school building and a dwelling house in direct violation of the aggrement,'' Mr Tingkhatra said.

Alleging that the school was demolished by a combined force of CRPF, Assam Armed Battalion and commandos, in presence of the IGP, Sibsagar Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police and other high government officials, Mr Tingkhatra said their action was a gross violation of the status quo and the directive of the Supreme Court.

Arunachal chief minister Dorjee Khandu on being informed of the incident had assured to take up the matter with his Asom counterpart for honouring the status quo and maintaining peace in the area, the statement added.

The villagers of Tanglam Russa, Kamkhu Russa and Ranglua were agitated over the violation of their basic rights. The Kanubari police station in-charge had reported that the Asom Police had taken away the CGI sheets of the school roof, black boards, wall charts and furniture of the school along with the building materials of a villager.

UNI