Assam tense; trouble brews during 36-hr bandh

Guwahati, Nov 27 (UNI) The situation in Assam continued to be tense as reports of violence trickled in from Tezpur and Dibrugarh today during the 36-hour Adivasi sponsored statewide bandh.

According to official sources at Tezpur, almost a rerun of the Beltola incident happened when a group of 200 strong Adivasis came to enforce the bandh. They attacked shops and forced them to close down.

This angered the locals who chased away the Adivasis burning almost 150 cycles brought by them. Two Adivasis and a shopkeeper were injured in the melee.

Security forces have rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

In another incident three people were injured and their vehicle damaged by bandh supporters in Dibrugarh district while life was affected in upper Assam districts during the shutdown which began yesterday.

The protestors beat up three people travelling in a vehicle and badly damaged it before snatching away their belongings at Naoholia area, official sources said.

A 3000-strong group of Adivasis from tea gardens led by Duliajan unit Bhojpuri Yuba Chatra Parishad president Gopal Singh, tried to enter the oil township of Duliajan this morning, the sources said.

After district authorities restricted their procession at Hukutachandi, they burnt the effigies of ministers Prithvi Majhi, D P Goala and Rameswar Dhanowar, former state Congress president P Singh Ghatowar and other political leaders.

Another procession of the agitators from Deuhal to Bordubi area was also held back, the sources said.

Life was hit by the shutdown in upper Assam districts of Dibrugarh, Sibsagar, Jorhat, Sonitpur, Tinsukia and North Lakhimpur and Kokrajhar in lower Assam which has a sizeable Adivasi population.

A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death yesterday and two others were seriously wounded after some Adivasis set their vehicle on fire at Amguri-Karigaon road in Kokrajhar district.

UNI