SUALKUCHI, March 30 � Curfew was clamped and Army staged flag march in the main town area of Sualkuchi today as protest against Banarasi silk fabrics continued for the second day. Police also opened fire on the protesters injuring three persons.
Condition of two of the injured was stated to be critical. The two were rushed to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital. The injured persons were Amrit Kakoti (45) of Sonaripara Chabin Thakuriya (25) of Fatna and Gitu Das (30) of Adaboi Sualkuchi.
The magistrate present there declared imposition of curfew at 2 pm. Earlier, the hundreds of protesters gathered at Napara Bus Stand, the commercial nerve centre of the silk village and staged dharna in front of the shops there.
The protesters forcibly opened the shutters of four silk centres and burned down a huge quantity of Banarasi pat fabric in front of the police.
The four affected centres included Jayanti Silk House, Silk Home, Deben Silk House and Chaba Silk Emporium.
The protesters staged dharna in the Napara market area from 10 am to 1.45 pm and during this period of incidents of burning fabrics and breaking doors continued, even as the police remained mute spectators. Later Hemanta Kr Das, Addl SP, Kamrup tried to pacify the violent agitators over the loudspeaker, but the agitators ignored him. Some of the agitators pelted stones at the police injuring the Additional Superintendent of Police and other police personnel.
Apart from ASP Das, the other policemen injured were Gyasuddin Ahmed, and Bhabendra Baishya. The police then used tear gas and resorted to lathicharge to disperse the people. Later the police opened fire.
Bijoya Chakraborty, MP, Dr Kamala Kalita, general secretary AGP, Manoj Saikia, publicity secretary, AGP, Anil Boro, organising secretary KMSS and Dhairjya Konwar, joint publicity secretary visited Sualkuchi and demanded of the Government to protect the people of Sualkuchi.
