Kohima: The Border Peace Coordination Committee, Assam-Nagaland (BPCC A-N) members visited the incident areas yesterday, following the Assam-Nagaland border tension that erupted on April 17 after the assault of three persons from the Tea Tribe community, where one person was shot at and injured by suspected Naga armed miscreants.
The Coordinator of the BPCC (A-N) Temsu Wathi Ao in a statement said that this incident in the border belt had led to the imposition of a road blockade in Dhodarali of Nakachari-Amguri stretch in Jorhat district in Assam by All Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (AATTSA) on April 18 and 25, demanding to book the culprits responsible for the act and to pay suitable compensation to the injured victims. In order to instill a sense of brotherhood and to defuse the prevailing situation there, the BPCC (A-N) arranged a get-together of the people yesterday in the campus of Gosaibari Primary School.
Mr. Ao said that the BPCC (A-N) went with a team to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital on April 29 to express sympathy to Dinesh Pantati, who received a bullet injury and was under treatment there. The team, thereafter, also called on the Deputy Commissioner of Jorhat and held discussions on the law and order situations following that incident. One of the victims, Sankar Pantati, was also present at the meeting that deliberated on peaceful and coordinated living of people in the border area. The third victim, Ratul Garh, is currently in the local hospital and could not be present in the meeting, but his father attended the meeting.
As per Sankar Pantati’s statement, a group of 5 unidentified personnel with hunting guns picked up three out of nine workers from the tea plantation area.
The BPCC (A-N) has appealed to all concerned to review the movement launched to settle the situation amicably. Further, it has suggested more get-togethers of people living in border areas to evolve ways and means for peaceful and coordinated living for which State Governments may lay out congenial policies. The BPCC (A-N) also stated that miscreants involved be identified and punished and demanded that the affected be compensated but launching of movement of the kind be withdrawn and settled through negotiations. (UNI)