From Our Correspondent
TURA: District administration of West Garo Hills relaxed curfew in the plain belt region of Phulbari-Rajabala for five hours on Thursday following a decline in communal tension between the two major communities residing in the region.
The district administration relaxed curfew from 9 am to 12 noon and again from 3-5 pm following a let-up in ethnic tension along the curfew-imposed 3 km inter-state border between Assam and Meghalaya.
Despite a rise in normalcy there was a stray incident in which a group of anti-social elements tried to burn down a wooden bridge in Machangpani road which connects Phulbari to the Dadenggre hill region.
Alert villagers informed police about the attack on the bridge by a group of miscreants who fled before police arrived. The bridge was saved from any major damage due to the timely action by the locals of the area.
Following the incident a permanent armed police picket has been deployed in the area to prevent further attacks.
Meanwhile, the district administration is planning to lift curfew in the entire plain-belt region for an entire day on Friday provided there is no rising tension from either side.
A convoy of trucks containing food grains has also been escorted to the plain-belt region for villagers to purchase at a time of extreme shortfall.
The State Government also held a review meeting of the situation at Rajabala which was attended by top district officials, including West Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Parvin Bakshi and other senior officials.
ANVC appeals for peace: In view of the clash between two communities in the plain belt areas of Garo Hills, the two factions of the ANVC (pro-talks group and the breakaway faction) have appealed to people from both communities to maintain peace and tranquility.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Publicity Secretary (ANVC) Arist Sengsrang N Sangma said, “We would like to appeal to our Garo and Muslim brothers and sisters to maintain peace.”
According to Sangma, there are certain groups of people working for some politicians with vested interest in the region who have been trying to instigate communal violence for their own political mileage.
The ANVC asserted that it is only the common people that suffer from this kind of violence and hatred while the people who start it reap the benefits that may come out of such events.
The breakaway faction of the ANVC has initiated talks with various leaders in the disturbed area to bring normalcy and avoid any escalation of violence, a statement said.