NEW DELHI, 13 August 2007 — Within a week 34 Hindi-speaking people have been killed in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district by militants belonging to the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the Karbi Longri National Liberation Front (KLNLF). Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday condemned the killings of Hindi-speaking people and was in touch with the Assam government on the action being taken and relief given to victims of the attack, a Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) spokesman said.
With several Biharis having fallen victim to militants’ attacks, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has sought immediate intervention of the center to ensure their safety. “It is not for the first time that Hindi-speaking people, several of them from Bihar, have fallen to mindless sectarian violence in Assam. It is the duty of the Congress government of Assam and the center to prevent such violence. I want the center’s UPA (United Progressive Alliance) regime to intervene to prevent recurrence of such violence,” Kumar said yesterday.
Condemning the killings of Bihari migrants living in Assam, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said: “I condemn the attack by ULFA. I have spoken to the PM and also Chief Minister (Tarun Gogoi). The home minister will have to visit the place.”
The four Hindi-speaking migrant workers killed yesterday, included three Marwaris. A group of about six armed militants attacked sleeping villagers at Rongmong Ghat in Karbi Anglong district, about 270 km east of Guwahati, according to a police spokesperson. They were dragged and shot at close range with automatic weapons, a police officer said. Three of the Marwaris killed included a woman, originally from Rajashtan while the fourth was a Bihari. Both families working as petty shopkeepers had been residing in Assam for decades.
Continuous attacks, including a wave of bombs, since Aug. 5 have led to 34 deaths and wounded about 50 people. In two separate incidents in Karbi Anglong on Wednesday and Friday, 22 Hindi-speaking people were killed. ULFA militants together with smaller tribal armed groups are involved in these attacks to show their presence, police officials said.
Displaying their protest against the killings, two Bihari organizations — Akhil Assam Bhojpuri Yuba Chatra Parishad and Akhil Assam Bihari Yuba Manch — have called a 12-hour “Assam bandh” tomorrow.
In its quest for an independent homeland, ULFA has been conducting such operations since 1979. Saying that people from outside the state were eating into local jobs, ULFA’s aim is to free the state of all non-Assamese workers. Earlier this year in January, about 60 people, mostly Hindi-speaking migrants, were killed by ULFA.
With rebels in Assam having for years boycotted the Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations, the Assam government has announced a massive military deployment to thwart further attacks linked to Aug.t 15 celebrations. About 75,000 paramilitary forces are already deployed in Assam and neighboring Arunachal Pradesh.
Ahead of national days, ULFA rebels have earlier targeted vital installations including crude oil pipelines, trains and road and rail bridges, besides attacking soldiers.
Asking the people to boycott Independence Day celebrations this year, ULFA has called a six-hour general strike in Assam on the day.
Condemning the killings, Chief Minister Gogoi said: “There are mindless killings targeting innocent civilians. Violence and killings cannot help resolve any issues.”
