GUWAHATI: A routine eviction drive turned violent in Sonapur's Kosutoli on Thursday. Two residents met their tragic ends and a number of others received injuries in the clash that broke out between the local police and the community people when the former tried to evict what they claimed to be illegal settlements on a 100-bigha plot of land housing around 150 people.
The identities of the two deceased were given as Haider Ali and Juwahid Ali. Both males died from injuries reportedly caused by police firing and were declared dead at Sonapur District Hospital. Besides the fatalities, a number of injuries resulted due to the violence, which included one to Shahjahan Ali, who sustained a bullet wound to his leg. Government officials also did not escape the wrath of the protesters as Revenue Circle Officer Nitul Khatoniar, along with four police officers, including a woman constable, were injured in the crossfire. The injured were quickly sent for further treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.
Hitherto, a dull eviction operation in the last couple of days saw on Thursday an explosive turn in a sudden boiling of area tensions. The trouble began as local residents, armed with sticks and sharp-edged weapons, begin to push back against the eviction team. Other accounts describe agitated residents hurling stones at police vehicles and increasing the chance of further volatility.
The police fired blank shots in a desperate attempt to regain control. Unfortunately, the firing sent Haider and Juwahid to their deaths, though the exact events leading to their deaths are not known yet, as investigations are still on. No official details were provided, and an inquiry has been ordered over exactly how such unprecedented violence ensued.
Residents of Kosutoli were a close-knit community, having lived on the disputed land for quite some time. They expressed outrage and sorrow over the incident. "This was our home," lamented one resident amid sweeping emotions. The local administration, however, justified the removal, stating that their motive was illegal occupation, although they were regretful of the sad end.
Situation in Kosutoli remains tense with hundreds of police deployed in the area to maintain law and order. As investigations continue, a big question lingers whether the eviction could have been done differently to avoid the devastation of life that has now scarred the community.
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