Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma Wednesday said the incident of violence in West Karbi Anglong district along Assam’s border with Meghalaya is not a border clash between the two states but a clash between police and villagers of the neighbouring State and something that could have been prevented.
Chief Minister Sarma was reacting to yesterday’s incident of skirmish between Assam Police and Forest guards and villagers in which 6 people including an Assam Forest guard killed on the Assam-Meghalaya border, Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma said that
“This does not fall in the purview of the border dispute between Assam and Meghalaya. This can be termed as a conflict between Assam Police and the people of a village in Meghalaya,” CM Sarma, who is in New Delhi to attend the 400th birth anniversary celebrations of iconic Ahom General Lachit Borphukan, said.
“Assam Police should not have been so aggressive in dealing with the situation. The police fired more shots than what was required in dealing with the situation,” CM Sarma added.
“In the meantime, a judicial inquiry into the incident has been ordered. I will personally demand that central probing agencies like CBI or NIA take up the investigation,” he added.
On whether this incident will hamper the peace talks with Meghalaya, the CM said the peace talks would continue. “They (peace talks) will continue. When this is not a border dispute then why should it hamper the peace talks?”
It may be noted that on Tuesday morning, a timber-carrying truck was asked to stop at a police check post at Moikrang in West Karbi Anglong along the Assam-Meghalaya border around 3 am this morning. The truck did not stop and sped away. Police chased the truck and managed to stop it by puncturing one of its tyres. Three people were held and brought to Jirikinding.
When the truck was stopped by the forest party personnel, they were gheraoed by unknown miscreants who resorted to violence. In order to save their lives, the forest party resorted to firing. In the incident, three civilians and one forest guard died.
