Kolkata:
Thousands of tribals from Assam have taken shelter in Alipurduar district in North Bengal to escape the ongoing violence in Kokrajhar and other adjoining districts of the neighbouring state.
The death toll in Tuesday’s terrorist attack in Kokrajhar, Sonitpur and Chirang districts of Assam rose to 75 on Friday. Those shot down include 21 women and 18 children. Scores of others have been injured in the mayhem. in an almost simultaneous attack on Adivasi settlers in four locations spread in two districts of Assam-Kokrajhar and Sonitpur.
Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Megharia told Gulf News on Friday that tribals, particularly Santhals, had arrived at three to four places in the district, and necessary arrangements had been made for their stay.
“Hundreds of families have taken shelter in four places in Alipurduar district due to the ongoing violence in Assam. Majority of those are tribal who have fled the state had come primarily from Kokrajhar district with very little belonging. We are proving them with all kinds of assistance.”
Most of the people were housed in a community hall in Changmari. Some had sought refuge in Haldibari and Bithibari. The people are provided with food and blankets. One company of Central Reserve Security Forces alongside the state police had been deployed in the area to ensure security.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was ‘deeply saddened’ by the brutal killing of tribals in Assam by militants, said, “I strongly condemn the heinous mass killings. Many adivasi [tribal] families have started coming to our state for shelter. We have made necessary arrangements to help them and we will continue to do so.”
Banerjee who is supervising the welfare of the refugees will visit the camps on Saturday. “I am going to the district to see that proper arrangements have been made. The state will do all it can to ensure that the people are safe,” she told Gulf News before boarding the flight to North Bengal.
In between, the Indian army has launched Operation All Out in Sonitpur along Assam-Arunachal border. According to sources, at least 8,000-9,000 soldiers are out in the ground in this two-tier operation where army has pressed helicopters into action in order to prevent Bodo militants from escaping. Three units of Assam Rifles have been involved. Also, 5,000 paramilitary personnel have been pressed into action.
“We cannot overlook it as a simple militant act. It is an act of terror. Both state and central governments will deal with it the way terrorism is dealt with,” Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told reporters in Guwahati.
“I have spoken to the Assam Chief Minister and we have decided to investigate the entire incident by the National Investigations Agency. We want to see the links of such groups. We want to know with whom they have connections,” Singh added.
