SHILLONG, Jan 11 � A fresh clash between Rabhas and Garos this morning forced the administration to revoke its decision to relax curfew in ethnic violence-hit Resubelpara sub-division of Meghalaya, reports PTI.
East Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Pravin Bakshi said the administration had decided to relax curfew for three hours from noon, but it was revoked after a fresh confrontation at Bakrakura in Mendipathar.
He said some Rabha refugees had tried to move to their village at Bakrakura when a Garo group confronted them, leading to a confrontation. Police personnel had to rush there to defuse the tension.
Tension prevailed in some pockets due to some rumours doing the rounds. �Unconfirmed reports of incidents on Assam side were reaching here, resulting in tension on the Meghalaya side,� Bakshi said.
Reports of anti-Rabha posters being put up were also coming from Tura, the district headquarter town of neighbouring West Garo Hills district.
Meanwhile, Meghalaya DGP S B Kakati and Principal Secretary (Home) C D Kynjing were huddled in a meeting with their Assam counterparts and a Home Ministry team led by Joint Secretary Shambhu Singh in Guwahati.
A decision on joint patrolling by police personnel of both the states is expected to be taken at the meeting which will review the prevailing situation and steps taken to control the violence.
At least nine people have been killed and around 50,000 displaced in the ethnic violence that began on January 1.
Altogether 103 people have been arrested and 25 cases of attempted arson and rioting registered so far in the ethnic-violence-hit areas of Meghalaya, DGP Kakati said.
Around 26 villages have been affected in Meghalaya and some 1500 houses burnt.
A Correspondent from Goalpara adds: With massive deployment of security personnel, the situation in the strife, torn areas is gradually limping back to normal with no untoward incident reported from the district today.
With Army, CRPF, BSF and SSB personnel patrolling all the vulnerable areas in the district ,people are now exuding confidence on the government machineries for restoring normalcy in the aftermath of the ethinic violence that flared up to an unprecedented level.
The emergency relief and rehabilitation operation is going on full swing and according to Loni Borpatra Gohain EAC,control room incharge, adequate relief materials have been provided to the inmates of the relief camps. Meanwhile, as a part of confidence building measures, many peace committee meetings between the people of both the communities i.e. (Rabha and Garo) were held at various places in the district and peace committees formed at people�s initiatives.
