Shillong: Fresh arson cases were today
reported from the ethnic-violence hit Mendipathar area along
Assam-Meghalaya border, even as a peace committee was formed
to diffuse the tension.
Burning of houses of a particular community and mob
build-up was reported from the remote Turikapara area of
Bajengdoba in East Garo Hills district this morning, officials
said.
Indefinite curfew, imposed on Monday night, was in
place at some pockets of Resubelpara subdivision.
Senior officials of Meghalaya`s East Garo Hills
district and Assam`s Goalpara district went into a huddle with
leaders of various Garo and Rabha groups at Goalpara circuit
house this afternoon.
Both sides aired their grievances at the meeting which
later formed a peace committee to diffuse the tension, they
said.
Rabha groups demanded repatriation of 3,000 Rabha
people who had fled Meghalaya and were taking shelter in Assam
in the wake of the ethnic clash.
They also demanded punishment to those who attacked
the Rabha people and set ablaze their houses, besides adequate
relief to those displaced, the officials said.
The Garo groups, on the other hand, asked the Assam
government to ensure that their people were not harassed in
Assam.
The state governments, represented by respective
deputy commissioners Pravin Bakshi and P K Goswami, assured to
address their grievances.
Two additional companies of BSF, besides the already
deployed four companies of security forces, were expected to
arrive at the violence-hit places today.
Scores of houses torched and some 4,000 people have
been displaced in the ethnic violence that began on January 1,
with nearly 3,000 evacuated to three relief camps at the
Mendipathar town.
Army was on stand-by, and is expected to be deployed
after a nod from the Centre.
PTI
