From our Correspondent
KOKRAJHAR, April 6: One BPF youth activist was killed and six others injured in pre-poll violence at Haldwijhora village, Haltugaon under Kokrajhar police station in Kokrajhar district on Sunday night. He has been identified as Dilip Boro (35) alias Keteng of East Dubinjhora village.
Boro, an ex-BLT member was a supporter of Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), Youth Wing and was the in-charge of Youth BPF camp at Haldwijhora. Eyewitnesses said that a group of unidentified miscreants attacked the Youth BPF Camp at Alufarm, Haldwijhora on Sunday at around 8.30 pm. The injured persons have been identified as Bisombar Brahma (46), Samarendra rzary (32), Amal Chandra Basumatary (62), Ratan rzary (35), Swmkhwr Rabha (23) and Daoharu Brahma (22). The injured persons are under treatment at MRM Private Nursing Home, Kokrajhar. Police claimed to have arrested 21 persons, all ABSU workers of Kokrajhar district committee, in connection with the incident. One of the BPF supporters said that a group of around 50 persons came with sharp weapons and lathis and vandalized the camp, killing one person on the spot.
BPF president Hagrama Mohilary strongly condemned the incident and blamed the People’s Coordition of Democratic Rights (PCDR) for the attack in the BPF Youth camp. He appealed to the administration to arrest Chief Co-coorditor of PCDR, Rwngwra rzary and ABSU president Pramod Boro for allegedly inciting the incident.
Meanwhile, ABSU general secretary Lawrence Islary refuted the allegation saying that the culprits should be punished. He said the ABSU had been playing a vital role for establishment of peace in the district as well as in the region and the arrest of its members was unfortute. He urged the district administration to release the members as early as possible and to investigate the incident so that the culprits could be brought to book. “Proper investigation will bright to light the truth,” he said.
The assistant publicity secretary of the NDFB (P), R. Daoka also denied their hands in the incident. He said certain news channel had blamed the NDFB(S) but this was baseless as the members of the NDFB (P) had been in the desigted camps as per the ceasefire ground rules and their members had not violated the rules.
On the other hand, the Deputy Chief of BTC, Kampa Borgoyary said the incident at Haldwijhora was unfortute. He said the people always think that only the ex-BLT or the Youth BPF workers indulged in such act but the incident at Haldwijhora had exposed that the PCDR workers were doing such incidents. He demanded that the PCDR Chief Coorditor and ABSU president should be held responsible for the attack on the Youth BPF camp.
The Bodoland Students’ Union (BSU), central committee also condemned the barbaric killing of Keteng Boro of village West Dubinjhora who was a worker of the BPF. The union appealed to the administration to b the culprits. The union also appealed to the general public not to pay heed to rumours.