GUWAHATI: Curfew was relaxed for 12 hours on Friday in Golaghat town of eastern Assam with the situation limping back to normalcy in the wake of August 20 mob violence and police firing.
Assam government on Friday also announced compensation against each of those killed in police firing as well as those killed in the violence along the inter-state boundary with Nagaland in Golaghat district on August 12 and 13 last.
However, the Army personnel were still patrolling in Golaghat town where curfew had to be imposed after three persons were killed in police firing on August 20 afternoon when a mob of protestors armed with bows, arrows, machetes tried to storm the town in protest against the government’s failure to protect people from the state living along the disputed Assam-Nagaland boundary in Golaghat district.
Meanwhile, the joint action committee of the seven organisations which have been protesting against the state government’s failure to protect people living close to the disputed Assam-Nagaland boundary withdrew the economic blockade against Nagaland after they had been invited for a round of talks by chief minister, Tarun Gogoi on Friday.
The CM announced Rs 5 lakh each as ex-gratia to the next of kin of those killed in police firing in Golaghat and Rs 50,000 to those who sustained serious injuries. Gogoi also announced Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of Ajit Tanti, who died after being run over by a speeding truck while fleeing police lathicharge.
Two persons died on the spot in police firing while another succumbed to injuries later. The deceased have been identified as Raju Rajak, Tiffil Jojwar and Gakul Boraik. 15 persons were injured in police firing at Arengapara, Golaghat. One has been discharged from the hospital and the rest are undergoing treatment at KK Civil Hospital, Golaghat, Jorhat Medical College Hospital, Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh and Gauhati Medical College & Hospital.
The Chief Minister has already announced Rs 8 lakh each as ex gratia to the next of kin of the nine persons who died in violent incidents along the inter-State border on August 12-13 last.
The CM assured to provide adequate compensation to the displaced people who were hit by violence along the Assam-Nagaland border.
Gogoi said that the State Government would take every care of the affected people and rehabilitate them at the earliest.
He said the Centre had already been requested for additional companies of CRPF for rapid deployment in the disputed area belt along with new security pickets in the affected villages.
This is not the first time that a conflict had taken place along the tensed Assam-Nagaland border.
