The Assam government has accused the proscribed National Democratic Front of Bodoland of violating ground rules of the ceasefire pact it had signed with the government of India, and fomenting trouble and violence in the Bodo tribe inhabited areas in the state.
Making a statement in the Assam assembly over Thursday's killing of four persons in police firing Assam Cabinet Minister Rockybul Hussain on Friday said that the problem started when police went to evict an illegal camp set up by the NDFB cadres at Bengtol area in Chirang district.
"The NDFB militants who are in ceasefire with dovernment of India since June 2005, were in the practice of breaking ceasefire ground rules by staying in camps other than the three truce-time designated camps set up as per the ceasefire pact in Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Council areas," Hussain said.
The minister informed that the Chirang district administration had sent a team of police personnel on Thursday to shift the NDFB cadres staying in the illegal camp at Bengtol.
The team faced strong resistance from militants as well as local residents. The initial clashes had left eight injured, one of them seriously, Hussain said.
He said the NDFB cadres and their supporters then attacked the nearby office of the youth wing of Bodoland People's Progressive Front.
"At this point police first resorted to lathicharge to disperse the mob and then opened fire on seeing the mob turning violent," the minister informed.
Four persons were killed while four others were hurt in the police firing.
The situation in the Bodoland areas of the state was stated to be tense but under control on Friday while senior officials of the state administration were camping in BTADC area to monitor the situation that is potent enough to spark more violence in view of the running feud between the NDFB cadres and the youth forum of the rival BPPF, a political party formed by the cadres of the now disbanded Bodo Liberation Tiger.
Most of the members of the BPPF youth forum were cadres of the now disbanded BLT that had signed the Bodo Peace Accord with the government of India.
The minister informed that peace committees were formed in Bodoland areas to involve people to maintain peace and harmony. The BPPF, which is now in power in the BTADC, is a coalition partner in Congress-led government in the state.
The NDFB, which is now in truce with the government of India, alleges that there was hardly any progress in the peace talks so far held with the government of India.
It accused the government of trying to avoid discussion on its demands while the government maintains that the NDFB hasn't submitted its charter of demands till date.
The NDFB took up arms to press for its demand for a sovereign Bodo homeland.
