Tension running high along the Assam-Nagaland border

GUWAHATI: Tension is running high along the Assam-Nagaland border in Assam's Golaghat district as suspected armed Naga miscreants fired indiscriminately and burnt villages on Assam side, killing one person and injuring three others.

This has sparked off angry protests. Following the incident in Uriamghat area under Dhansiri subdivision of the district, around 5,000 people living along the border have taken shelter in eight relief camps.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has requested Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh for additional Central para-military forces for deployment in the trouble-torn Uriamghat.

Tension escalated when miscreants from Nagaland fired on agitators outside the CRPF camp in the sector D area. Agitators were demanding release of two school students suspected to have been abducted by a Naga insurgent group.

The miscreants set ablaze 70 house triggering exodus of people. Gogoi while appraising the prevailing law and order situation at Uriamghat, requested Singh for additional Central para-military forces for deployment along the inter-state border area near Uriamghat.

Singh assured Gogoi that his plea for additional forces would be looked into by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Assam Commissioner & Secretary, Home and Political, GD Tripathi said more forces have been rushed to the area and the districts bordering Nagaland have been put on alert. "The situation is under control now and we have sought for ten additional companies from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)."

Opposition parties attacked the government in assembly during the ongoing session of the Assam Legislative Assembl. State Forest minister Rockybul Hussain added, "The violence has affected Chetia Gaon, Seinpur, Ratanpur, Roman Basti and Kemphur villages along the Assam-Nagaland border in Golaghat district.

The state government had already sent three companies of Quick Reaction Team and one company of additional forces to the affected areas to ensure that the situation cannot deteriorate."

Nagaland government stated that the rally was organized in protests against the alleged abduction of two Adivasi youths. A senior official in Nagaland said, "Adivasis began firing blank shots in the area and public in Nagaland side retaliated."

Home Minister (Nagaland) Y Patton also said that deployment of state security forces to the area was not for confrontation but to control the situation and to bring peace and understanding to the people living in the disturb area. An organization in Assam has clamped economic blockade against Nagaland.