PFI holds Assam govt. responsible for communal clashes; demands Centre's intervention

Mangalore, July 27: Terming the ongoing communal clashes in North East Indian state of Assam as “unfortunate development”, the Popular Front of India has demanded a quick and effective intervention of the Central Government to solve the issue immediately.

“On behalf of PFI, I express deep concern over the unfortunate development in Assam in which dozes of persons were killed and tens of thousands of innocent people suffered from the mischievous activities of anti-social and communal elements”, stated a media release issued here by K M Shareef, the general secretary of the organisation.

Mr Shareef said the spread of ethnic clashes in Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Chirang and Bongaigaon districts were the result of the failure of the State Government in providing equal protection to all the sections of the society and in foreseeing the tensions grew up among different communities following a local incident.

There is complete breakdown of law and order machinery in the affected districts. Hence PFI demands immediate and appropriate actions from the Central Government so that the communal elements in the society are restrained from continuing their dangerous anti-social activities, the release said.

“As the failure of the State Government has been completely proven, the Central government should take steps to give safe shelter and basic living facilities to those who had to leave their home out of fear”, it added.

The PFI also requested the people of the Assam to maintain peace and communal harmony.

Muslim refugees at the Bagaon High School relief camp in Kokrajhar. Out of 4,000 refugees who had initially taken shelter here, only about 1,500 remain, the rest having fled to camps in Dhubri, outside the Bodoland Territorial Council-administered districts.

The Bagaon High School camp was set up on July 19 but the government started providing food only on July 26. Medical facilities and basic necessities like baby food are yet to reach the shelter.

Ahmed Fauziaur Rehman (centre), a farmer from the Parura Muslim Basti fled his village hearing gunshots on July 19, 2012.

Mohammad Chinu Hussain of Boro Bhardanjugam shows the gunshot wound he recieved while fleeing his village.

Samiran Bibi is worried as her son Sofizuddin, her family's sole bread-winner has been hit by a bullet and is still under treatment at the Government Medical College, Dhubri.

Mohammad Abu Bakr Siddiq of Gossaigaon Bhudaigur is a worried man as his one-year-old daughter Azima and mother-in-law Hasina Begum have been missing since their village was attacked on July 21, 2012. Mr. Siddiq's wife Khadiya Begum was injured by firing during the attack.