Heightened militant attack poses a challenge for new BJP led government in Assam

GUWAHATI: The fragile peace in Assam seems to be in tatters with two militant attacks in the space of a week, just ahead of the Independence day, prompting protestors to block the highway and refusing to perform the last rites of the two persons killed in indiscriminate firing by anti-talk ULFA militants unless chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Union home minister Rajnath Singh visited the area.

Apart from the two killed, who were Hindi-speaking settlers from Bihar, several others were injured in Friday’s incident. Also, on August 5, militant outfit National Democratic Front of Bodoland-Songbijit (NDFB-S) killed 14 people in Kokrajhar district in Bodoland, escalating tension in the region.

Militancy has emerged as a big challenge for the three-month-old BJP led government in Assam. Condemning the attacks, Sonowal said, “The government will take stern action against the perpetrators of violence.”

Elsewhere in Karbi Anglong district, a policeman was killed and another injured when a fight broke out among security personnel.

Superintendent of Police of KarbiAnglong Debajit Deuri has ruled out the possibility of militants’ involvement in the incident and said the bullet was fired from inside the 11th battalion area. “We did not see bullets coming from outside. However, we have engaged experts to ascertain the facts.”

Leader of the Opposition in Assam assembly Debabrata Saikia said, “We are concerned about the security situation which is fast deteriorating in the state. The state government seems to be making speeches while the militants are attacking regularly.”