Assam government mulls arming Muslims in Bodo terror-hit areas

It is learnt that the government has asked for applications from villagers.

State forest minister Rockybul Hussain said Bengali-speaking Muslim villagers should be given licensed arms by the state government for self defence. "Since the home department in Bodoland Territorial Council area is under the state government, the government can provide licensed arms if anyone applies for it."

National Highway 37, which wore a deserted look over the last four days, saw traffic once again. But Jamiat-e-Ulema (Hind) leader Mahmood Madani, in Guwahati, demanded the Congress government break its links to the Bodoland People's Front. "People suspect BPF's hand in these killings and in that case, the Congress should not run the government with them," Madani said.

The police have arrested 26 people so far and five cases have been registered in connection with the violent incidents in BTAD. A relief camp has been established by the Baksa district administration where 498 people from the violence-affected areas under Gobardhana have taken shelter. Protests continued in Barak Valley of Assam. A dawn-to-dusk bandh in Hailakandi district on Sunday disrupted life.

Meanwhile, security forces intensified their operations against National Democratic Front of Boroland militants with three guerrillas killed in two encounters in northern Assam's Sonitpur and Udalguri districts on Sunday.

Police recovered three pistols, two grenades and some incriminating documents from the slain militants. DIG (NR) Subhrajyoti Hazarika confirmed this, saying, "The Sonitpur encounter took place in the morning while the Udalguri incident occurred around 1.15pm on Sunday." The death toll in the current killings by NDFB(Songbijit) group rose to 34 after two more bodies of Bengali-speaking Muslims were recovered from Beki river in Baksa district.

Cops also fired in the air to disperse crowds in Narayanguri in Baksa district as they gathered in protest and refused to bury 18 of those killed on Friday, demanding a visit by chief minister Tarun Gogoi. Hours later, the last rites were performed after the border development minister assured them Gogoi would visit the village once the code of conduct was lifted on May 16.

Bengali-speaking Muslims have clashed with Bodos four times in the past, the earliest being in 1952 and the most recent being in 2012 when 105 people from both communities were killed in five days.

Assam Police additional director general A P Raut said, "The situation is fast improving. We've relaxed curfew in some places today. Tomorrow, we will relax it in Baksa. We have handed over the investigation into the killings to the special task force till NIA probe is cleared by the Centre."

Meanwhile, NIA sources said they will discuss the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) violence with the Assam government on Monday. NIA is likely to sit for a detailed discussion with the state home department in Dispur and draw up a strategy to probe the recent violence in BTAD.

On Saturday, Gogoi had said the state government was going to hand over the probe into the killing of 32 civilians to the NIA. "We are sending the official letter to the Union home ministry this evening. An NIA team will be discussing the matter with the state government on Monday. The NIA is going to look into the various FIRs registered in the BTAD areas regarding the violence," said state home commissioner and secretary G D Tripathi.

Amnesty International, India, strongly condemned the killing of 32 people in Assam's Kokrajhar and Baksa districts and termed the act as shameful and displaying contempt for human lives. "Authorities in Assam must take action to protect the rights of all communities and bring those responsible for the attacks to justice," it demanded.