Probe reports AANLA role, administrative failure in Adivasi violence

Guwahati, Apr 2 (UNI) Adivasi militant group AANLA's involvement in the November 24 violent outburst in Guwahati was ascertained today by a judicial probe, which also highlighted the failure of the administration in tackling the incident.

The inquiry also concluded that the local people were ''provoked'' and the authorities failed to control the violence, exposing the administrative failure.

The Justice (retd) R K Manisena Singh Commission report, which was tabled in the Assembly today, along with the Action Taken Report (ATR), threw light on the sequence of events that led to clashes between Adivasi rallyists and local residents of Beltola area of Guwahati on November 24 last year during an All Adivasi Students' Association of Assam (AASAA)-sponsored rally, which left one dead and over 250 injured.

The Commission concluded that the rally and the meeting that preceding it were unlawful and the Adivasi rallyists had damaged property, both private and government, besides assaulting government officials on duty who had tried to stop them.

The controversy regarding whether the local people had attacked the adivasis without reason was also addressed by the commission, which stated that the ''local people were provoked by the activities of some of the marchers'' and had ''avenged upon the retreating procession marchers and assaulted them.'' The All Adivasi National Liberation Army's (AANLA) involvement was also unearthed, with the Commission stating that a prima facie case of conspiracy amongst some of the Adivasis at the instigation of the AANLA was found.

The government authorities also came under scanner with the Commission pointing to lapses on part of the authorities, including absence of sufficient police forces and lack of anticipatory action.

The government, in the ATR, mentioned that it has already approached the CBI for conducting a thorough investigation to fix responsibility and has initiated steps to identify those responsible for the incident as well as ensure that such incidents do not recur.

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