GUWAHATI: Eight persons were injured when police resorted to firing and tear gas shelling to disperse a violent mob of protestors who blocked Guwahati-Silchar Fast Passenger Train at Maibang Railway station in Dima Hasao hill district in view of the 12-hour bandh called by several Dimasa Tribe organisations.
The bandh was called to protest ‘reported’ attempt by the Government of India to include territory of Dima Hasao hill district of Assam in proposed Nagalim to be created as per the agreement reached with the Naga rebel group NSCN-IM.
A senior police official in the district informed that the firing and tear gas shelling had to be resorted to after the protestors damaged government property in the railway station besides causing damage to vehicle of government officials. The efforts by the Deputy Commissioner of the district and the SP failed to pacify the protestors who pelted stones on the team of officials and policemen injuring one Additional SP, one Additional DC and the OC of Maibang Police station. The injured protestors were admitted to the hospital.
Tension is running high in Dima Hasao hill district of Assam over the apprehension about compromising the territorial integrity of Dimasa-tribe dominated Dima Hasao hill district of Assam to create a Nagalim as demanded by the NSCN-IM, the Naga rebel group in talks with the Government of India. The Dima Hasao district has a long inter-state boundary with Nagaland.
Normal life in the hill district of Assam came to a grinding halt today because of the dawn-to-dusk bandh call given by several organisations. All the business establishments, banks, education institutions and even government offices remained close in district headquarter town of Haflong while the offices of Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police ran with very thin presence of staff.
Protestors all over the district forced vehicular traffic off the road during the bandh period.