Situation continues to be tense in Silapathar

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

DHEMAJI, March 10: Even though no untoward incidents have been reported today, situation in Silapathar continued to be tensed with Dhemaji district administration imposed night curfew in Silapathar and adjoining Simen Chapori after miscreants set five houses on fire at Simen Chapori, 75 km from here, on Wednesday.  Nikhil Bharat Bangali Udbastu Samanvay Samiti (NIBBUSS) activists allegedly vandalized the AASU office at Silapathar on Monday.  

An Assam Assembly team visited Silapathar and met the student organizations and the Dhemaji district administration and had a closed-door discussion over the incident.

After the meeting, Minister Keshab Mahanta addressed a gathering and said the administration had intensified serach operations at different places to arrest Subodh Biswas, the prime accused of the incident. The team also visited the site of the NIBBUSS rally held at Silapathar on Monday.

Mahanta said the government would send the injured AASU workers for better treatment and bear the expenses for the AASU office repairs. He appealed to the AASU and other organisations to talk among themselves and bring back normalcy.

“We request the government to ban all events of the Samiti,” said the Assam Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Dilip Paul. Tension prevails in Dhemaji district following a warning by the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad, All Assam Students’ Union and

All Tai Ahom Students Union to all traders and businessmen not to open their shops till the arrest of the president NIBBUSS, Subodh Biswas. The shops and business establishments of a particular community of Dhemaji district remained closed since last Tuesday and the innocent Assamese Bengali people are suffering from fear psychosis.

The organizations had given 12 hours time for the arrest of Subodh Biswas and the dead line is now over. A total of 30 people have been arrested so far.

Dhemaji SP Nilesh Sawakare said that police have been constantly monitoring the situation.  DGP Mukesh  Sahay and Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia visited Dhemaji and Silapathar today to take stock of the situation.

“Silapathar a small business town and there is communication problem too. In that case without the help of the Government machineries Subodh Biswas cannot flee away from Silapathar secretly. He must be assisted by the Government machineries. Because it was learnt that Biswas has a very close link to the present Assam and Central government,” said a resident of Silapathar.

The people of Silapathar appealed to the Assembly team to ban all the organizations related directly or indirectly to the NiBBUSS. Since Monday, nearly 30 shops in Silapathar town have been damaged and set ablaze. The town has a population of nearly 25,000 Bengalis who have arranged for night patrolling in their villages out of fear.