Students’ unions slam Assam govt over Tengatal attack on Assam-Nagaland border

Jorhat, Oct 7: The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and the Chutia Students’ Union have strongly condemned the Assam government’s handling of a violent border attack on October 2, which left nearly 93 homes in flames in the Tengatal Panchamukh area near the Assam-Nagaland border.

In scathing statements, the student bodies criticised the state’s failure to protect civilians and questioned the absence of key officials, including Border Development Minister Atul Bora.

“The incident in Jalal Basti’s Tengatal area is utterly condemnable. If these individuals are to be evicted, the Assam government should follow proper legal steps. But the inhumane burning of homes by Naga miscreants is shameful. There was no effective patrolling by Assam or Nagaland police, which is deeply concerning,” said Bikas Bora, a student leader affiliated with AASU.

Footage that has since have gone viral shows Assam Police personnel being obstructed by Naga individuals on Thursday night while attempting to reach the site.

Threatened and forced to retreat, the alleged police withdrawal has sparked widespread outrage over the administration’s inability to maintain authority on its own soil.

Raktim Chutia, Secretary of the Dholpur Subdivision Chutia Students’ Union, echoed these concerns.

“When the administration itself cannot access the site and Nagas dominate Assam’s land, it is truly unfortunate. We do not know the whereabouts of Minister Atul Bora,” he said, referencing the absence of Assam’s Border Development Minister during recent border tensions.

Chutia further noted that during the large eviction drive in the Rengma Reserved Forest, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had personally inspected the site, but the Minister Bora, in charge of Border Development, had not.

“Since 2014, we have witnessed continuous aggression by Nagas on the border, including the burning of homes,” he said, calling on the Chief Minister to take steps for a permanent solution to the border issue.

According to local accounts, the attackers, allegedly from Nagaland, struck under the cover of darkness, firing blank rounds to create panic, hurling grenades, and setting nearly 90 homes on fire. Villagers fled to paddy fields, forests, and riversides in desperation.

The incident has reignited demands for immediate and decisive action by the Assam government, including permanent border security measures and consistent patrolling to prevent future attacks.

At the time of writing this report, neither the Assam government nor the Border Development Minister had issued a formal statement regarding the attack, raising serious concerns about administrative control and the safety of civilians in border areas.