There was no let up in the ongoing communal violence that has rocked Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Administered Districts (BTAD) areas despite the imposition of an indefinite curfew and shoot-on-sight orders. The death toll in the clash has now climbed to 32.

Security forces Tuesday shot dead four miscreants in Assam further raising the death toll in the communal violence raging in two districts, official sources said.  “Four persons were killed in police firing in three different parts of Kokrajhar district on Tuesday. The people were indulging in violence,” IGP (BTAD) S.N. Singh told the media.

The killings come a day after the authorities issued shoot-on-sight orders against rioters. The violence has also spread to Dhubri district bordering Bangladesh. Police opened blank fire Tuesday to contain the unrest. In Dhubri, the administration has clamped curfew in some sensitive areas including Gouripur, Golakganj, Bilasipara and Chapar.

Official sources said 28 people had been killed in the clashes earlier. Sixteen of them were killed in Kokrajhar district while five were killed in neighbouring Chirang district.

State DGP J.N. Choudhury said the situation was “very tense”. He said the arrival of additional central forces would help restore normalcy. “The situation will be firmly and impartially dealt with. We appeal to people to not circulate rumours.

They should stay calm and cooperate with us,” the DGP said. Principal secretary (home) Sailen Kumar has asked the people not to panic as the army had been  alerted and hoped the situation would improve in a couple of days.
PM, HM call Gogoi

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union home minister P Chidambaram called up Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi Tuesday to take stock of the situation. “The Prime Minister has asked the chief minister to do everything possible for relief and rehabilitation of the affected,” official sources said.

Meanwhile, the chief minister refused to describe the clashes as communal violence stating the situation was created by miscreants on both sides. “It will be dealt with firmly. We have sought additional forces from the centre,” he said.

In New Delhi, Union home secretary R.K. Singh told reporters that he was constantly in touch with the state’s DGP. Hundreds of houses have been reportedly burnt down by miscreants in the affected Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri districts. It was learnt the Meghalaya governor R.S. Mushahary’s native village was also burnt down substantially.

At least 500 villages have been reported affected. According to official figures, 55,000 people were sheltered in 42 relief camps. Thousands others fled to other places in the state. Reports suggested that there was an acute shortage of food items, primarily baby food and drinking water, in the camps.

Train services disrupted
Train services have been severely disrupted due to the violence. NF Railway cancelled 12 trains and rescheduled 20 others immediately after miscreants targeted the Guwahati-bound Rajdhani Express by pelting stones.

At least 25,000 train passengers have been reported stranded at various places with a total of 37 trains being halted at various states due to clashes till reports last came in.

Officials said efforts were on to arrange for food and water for the stranded passengers. According to the railway ministry, 26 trains have been cancelled so far and 37 have been halted at various stations.

Meanwhile, MP and Assam’s main opposition party All India United Democratic Front president Badruddin Ajmal and Bodoland Territorial Council chief Hagrama Mahillary appealed to the government to deploy sufficient army personnel to the trouble-torn districts to combat the situation. An all-party team of Assam assembly would visit Kokrajhar Wednesday.

The clashes reportedly broke out after unidentified persons killed four former members of an erstwhile rebel group to avenge the attack on two former leaders of All Assam Minority Students’ Union.

4,000 troopers rushed to violence-hit Assam
IANS Adds: Central government Tuesday said nearly 4,000 paramilitary troopers have been rushed to two violence-hit Assam districts where communal clashes have left 25 people dead.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh promised Gogoi more assistance as 39 companies of central paramilitary forces have been rushed to Assam.  “We have sent 29 companies. Fourteen were sent Monday and 15 more have been sent Tuesday,” Home secretary R.K. Singh told reporters in Delhi.

He said joint secretary, Northeast Shambhu Singh would be visiting Assam to take stock of the situation there even as officers in union home ministry were in “regular touch” with Assam chief secretary and police chief.