Assam: Clashes in BTC areas claimed 731 lives since 1993

Spells of communal as well as ethnic violence, that have become the bane of life in Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Council areas of Assam, which have claimed 731 lives since 1993 in the area.

This was disclosed by the Assam government before the state assembly.

All these clashes occurred between the Bodos or the Adivasi community or the religious minority (Muslim) community. These clashes over the years have devastated the social fabric in the area where mistrust among various communities has become order of the day.

The situation turned for the worse during the communal violence of July this year between Bodos and Muslims in which 109 persons were killed while about four lakhs people from both Bodo and Muslim communities rendered homeless.

According to the figures provided by the government, 558 persons were killed because of ethnic and communal violence in the BTC area from 1993 to 2003 while 173 persons were killed in such clashes occurring in the BTC areas during the period from 2003 to December 5, 2012.

The Assam government informed that so far 5,776 cases were registered in connection with the ethnic violence that erupted in July this year in the BTC area, and out of these, 15 cases were handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

So far, 532 persons have been arrested in connection with this particular spell of communal violence. Total 109 persons were killed in ethnic violence in the BTC in July this year out of which nine were yet to be identified.

The state government has paid ex-gratia compensation of Rs 3 lakh against each of 81 deceased so far while payment of compensation against rest 16 identified deceased was under consideration of the government.

Security forces have succeeded in seizure of 74 arms from the communally sensitive area, mostly from Bodo tribe militant elements until December 5. The seizure included 35 pistols, 5 AK-47 assault rifles, 14 country-made rifles and 20 guns.

The ammunition recovered included 20 magazines, 363 rounds of assorted ammunition, 1200 gms of explosives, 3.5 Kg of RDX explosives, and 42 detonators. Thirty-seven grenades, three bombs, two improvised explosive devices were also recovered from the area.

A total 30,430 riot-hit persons were still lodged in 55 refugee camps in the BTC area till December 7 last. The government has so far released over Rs 86.51 crore for payment of ex-gratia compensation, relief and rehabilitation measures in the violence-hit BTC areas.

The government has deployed 68 additional companies of paramilitary force personnel in the violence-hit areas of the BTC while 127 additional and permanent police stations have been set up in vulnerable areas of the BTC.