The Assam Tribune online
Guwahati, Sunday, December 25, 2005
Salakati clash evokes Statewide protests
By A Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 24 The Salakati incident of clash between a group of youths and a contingent of the 1st India Reserve Battalion (IRB) over an alleged attempt at molestation of some college-going girls that killed four persons yesterday, has stirred widespread protests in the State today, even as tension continued to prevail in Kokrajhar. While the Rabiram Narzary faction of the Bodoland Peoples Progressive Front (BPPF) has called for a 12-hour Assam bandh from 5 am of December 26, the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and the Asom Unnati Sabha have decided to observe December 27 as a black day in protest against the incident.
The BPPF has also demanded stringent punishment to those involved in the Salakati incident, adequate compensation to the victims families and security to the women rail passengers.
The AASU and Unnati Sabha also made similar demands and stated in a statement here today that their members all over the State would hoist black flags at the public places on December 27. They also said that both the AASU and the Unnati Sabha would hold discussion with the All Bodo Students Union to chalk out further course of actions on the issue.
The All Assam Tribal Sangha has demanded immediate and stringent punitive measures against those IRB personnel involved in the alleged case of molestation and shooting yesterday. It has also demanded compensation at the rate of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of each of those killed in the incident. Besides, it demanded prompt measures to ensure safety of rail passengers and a high-level inquiry into the incident.
The Sangha has also lent its full support to the bandh called by the BPPF in protest against the incident on December 26.
The State committee of the CPI-ML (Liberation) also took out a procession in protest against the incident and demanding punishment to those involved in it.
The State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has vehemently condemned the incident and demanded compensation at the rate of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each of those killed in it.
The Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti has demanded exemplary punishment to those involved in the incident and adequate compensation to the kin of those killed.
The All Adivasi Students Association of Assam (AASAA) also condemned the incident and demanded a judicial probe into the whole episode. The Association also demanded that the government should immediately pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh to each of the affected families, in addition to arresting and severely punishing the Haryana policemen who have been accused of committing crimes against girls students, our Dibrugarh Bureau adds.
AASAA vice-president Raphael Kujur today said that the police action after the misdemeanour by the Haryana policemen has to be condemned, and that the beating and shooting down of innocent citizens is a crime against humanity. The All Assam Bengali Youth Students Federation has also condemned the incident and demanded exemplary punishment to the guilty police personnel from Haryana.
Meanwhile, the body of Thomas Basumatary (21), BA Second Year student of Gossaigaon College who was shot dead by the policemen at Salakati has been cremated at his Ballimari residence some 7 km from Gossaigaon subdivisional headquarter. Thousands of people, including teachers, students and the local citizens paid their last respects to the body of Basumatary, our Gossaigaon correspondent adds.
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