KALAIGAON, May 9 � When the other three districts in BTAD, namely- Kokrajhar, Chirang and Baksa had been hit hard by post-poll violence leading to deaths of over 40 innocent people, including children and women belonging to the religious minority community, the other BTAD district Udalguri remained peaceful without a single incident.
The secret behind the calm was revealed by ABSU and AMSU leaders of Udalguri district before a visiting media team on May 8. Joint timely action taken by ABSU and AMSU in association with the district administration could very well prevent more violence and killings in the district, it was confirmed.
Nerkhang Khaklary, president of ABSU�s Udalguri unit told the media at their office that all the people irrespective of caste and community want to live in peace. Only a few interested people try to misguide the common people for their own interest. Referring to the recent violence in BTAD, he remarked that it was a planned conspiracy and the time was chosen accordingly. �The recent violence in BTAD was never communal, but a well planned political conspiracy� he said. Dipen Boro, advisor of the district ABSU, adding his personal experience,narrated the story of a small incident at Bhakatpara near Darrang district on May 3 last.He said that a gaonburah belonging to the Bodo community was about to flee his house fearing attack of other community people.
Dipen proudly mentioned that it was the AMSU district president who had informed him about the impending largescale violence in the district. A district-level joint ABSU-AMSU meeting was arranged immediately on May 4 and the AMSU took upon itself the responsibility of protecting the neighbouring Bodo villages.
Dipen Boro also mentioned that whenever there was any rumour, the leaders of both the organisations used to arrange spot visit to the areas to settle the matter. They nevertheless thankfully mentioned the contribution of SS Meekashi Sundaram and Thaneswar Malakar, previous DCs, besides Anand Prakash Tiwari and Debojit Deuri, previous SPs of Udalguri. Boro said that they had planted the trees of friendship and peace in the district since 2009.
Supporting the views of ABSU, Md Hedayatullah, president of AMSU, Udalguri district unit told the visiting media team that joint activities could successfully prevent violence in both Darrang and Udalguri districts and the situation was under control. He thanked the Udalguri district administration for timely intervention.
Revealing their strategies to combat violence and spreading of rumour, the ABSU and AMSU leaders said that prompt joint visits to the source of rumour very well prevented further spreading of the rumour mill. Moreover, both the organisations decided to suspend visits of one community member to other villages without informing their own local units of either ABSU or AMSU till normalcy returns to BTAD.
Deputy Commissioner Sadhana Hojai, while briefing the visiting media team on the prevailing law and order situation in the district, remarked that people must not venture out after dusk in the vulnerable villages.She also requested the people not to follow TV breaking news. She said that five companies of para-military forces, including two companies of BSF, one SSB and two CRPF teams had been deployed in the vulnerable areas.
