People 'confused' about the real perpetrators of Kokrajhar mayhem

From our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, August 7: People of Kokrajhar have still confusion over the real perpetrators of the ghastly attack on innocent people at Balajan Tiniali market near Kokrajhar on Friday. Many people still find it difficult to accept the involvement of the anti-talk faction of the NDFB. They think that it could be the handiwork of some outside elements or cooked up by the government agencies. In the social networking site, people have expressed their doubt over involvement of the NDFB (anti-talk faction).

In a social networking site, Zabda Basumatary, a self-employed person said, “The police administration has put forward some absurd theories to divert the ongoing operation against the NDFB and its leader Bidai. They (NDFB) have perpetrated the heinous incident. But how can one buy this theory? If they are under so much pressure and thus cannot hide anywhere in the northern border and remote areas, it will be tural that they will definitely come out from their hideouts and seek clandestine safer shelters somewhere else even if these are near any town areas. Then by committing such barbaric incidents why will they go to disclose their whereabouts, thereby inviting danger? At the same time, it is said that the gunmen remained there only for 10-15 minutes firing indiscrimitely then fled the scene. Then the tural question that arises is how was it possible for the police to gun down a militant by coming 30-35 minutes after the incident? At the same time, the slain militant does not resemble at all the description of gunmen given by eyewitnesses of the incident. Moreover, he was recovered in a tied up condition. I wonder is he a victim of a fake encounter! What do these facts tell us? The whole episode seems to be a grave conspiracy. We need not defend any heartless inhumane terrorist outfit but should see so that the actual culprits cannot escape scot-free.”

Okhrang Basumatary said, “The dead comrade was platoon commander of Gossaigaon platoon; but he (B. Mwdan alias Manjay Islary) was arrested four days ago by police from Kusugaon area. This indicates that the NDFB (S) was not involved in the shoot-out which took place on Friday. The police and media covered the story differently.”

Pratibha Brahma, a social activist of Kokrajhar,said, “Who sponsored such barbaric terror attack in Bodoland? Whenever there is a feeling that peace prevails in our home too, then there is a sudden jerk just like a high Richter scale earthquake and we are brutally traumatized and mentally raped by our own fellow countrymen. Conflicts are followed by operations and visits of VIPs, declaration of this and that for victims and families which are hardly fulfilled later on, condemtion and warnings by organizations, absurd debates on TV which earns huge TRPs from such inhuman incidents, visit by various scholars, activists, writers in Bodoland increases so that they fulfil their academic or professiol achievements. But what people do not give attention to is who has or is suffering the most in Bodoland? Does not the theory that ‘In Kashmir, except Kashmiris all are safe’ imply in Bodoland too? We do not want to be pawns or scapegoats of all conspirators, whoever are the actors - be them the militants or state actors. It is always the poor and helpless public who become victims of such conspiracies. Let us remember we are living in a zone with terrible 36.8 per cent BPL territory where our people have to struggle every day for living and this very fact leads to all vulnerabilities in the region.”

A jourlist based in Kokrajhar said, “Both the army and the State police released contradictory statements regarding the operation. While senior cabinet minister Himanta Biswa Sarma along with State police officials claimed that the Assam Police had saved the day, the army claimed that it was their forces that had carried out the operation. Sarma said, ‘Our alert police reached within 10 minutes. Maybe 100 people would have otherwise got killed.’ The army statement said, ‘An army patrol which was in the vicinity immediately reacted and cordoned the area. The army troops neutralized one of the terrorists on the spot. The swift action by the army troops has prevented indiscrimite killings of civilians in the crowded market place. Any delayed action by the army would have resulted in extremely high casualties amongst the urmed, innocent civilians’.”

Prithviraj rayar Dev Mech, the last descendent of Mech King said, “I do also slam all those fronts who are using the term Bodo terrorist. A community cannot be regarded as terrorist as a whole. If it is so, then the question arises is whether so called media and intellectuals would ever regard ISIS or jehadis as Muslim terrorists, ULFA as Assamese terrorist or what! Terrorists are terrorists, no community, no humanity; we should disgrace and condemn them every time. So who is really commul? Commul diplomacy is not to be tolerated at all.”

BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary said, “It is NDFB’s ture that kills innocent people. The Balajan Tiniali gruesome incident is not the first incident of such inhuman act of the NDFB but they have carried out similar killings in Bargaon, Mas, Sonitpur, Ultapani, Lumsung, Pakriguri in Kokrajhar on Adivasis, Baolaguri in Gossaigaon on earlier occasions where many innocent people lost their lives.”