Assam: Congress Delegation Blocked by Locals from Visiting Eviction Site

GUWAHATI: A delegation of Congress was not allowed by locals to visit the site of the violent eviction drive in Sonapur on the outskirts of Guwahati on Saturday. The Congress team comprising several opposition MLAs had visited Kochutoli village to meet the affected residents after two people died in police firing during the eviction of Bengali-speaking Muslim settlers. But locals barred the convoy from reaching the site, creating a standoff. The Congress team, headed by the party's state working president and MLA, Jakir Hussain Sikdar, then alighted from their vehicles and tried to walk towards the site.

Locals continued to keep obstructing their way and did not let the team go inside. Talking to the media, Sikdar said the delegation would like to hear all sides of the problem. "We, as representatives of the people, have a duty to listen and raise the legitimate concerns of the community. Congress stands in solidarity with movements of legitimate demands. However, actions like shooting civilians and eviction without notice are unacceptable on the part of police," he said. Sikdar also reiterated that accountability on both sides must be ensured. "Those who attacked the police must face action, but one cannot ignore excessive force used," he added. "All of us want a peaceful Assam, but it is bleeding obvious that law and order have broken down in the state."

The eviction drive turned deadly in Kochutoli village on Thursday when a group of villagers, allegedly armed with sharp country weapons and stones, attacked the officials overseeing the clearing of the encroachments. The police opened fire to control the crowd, which left two protestors dead. As many as 33 people were injured in the clash, including 22 police personnel.

According to the DGP, it was an action that aimed to target less than 300 families of illegal settlers in the area. As per reports, 151 families have been evicted so far as a total of 248 bighas of land are cleared as part of the ongoing operation.

The situation has brought to the fore questions about how the state handles law and order, with the ruling Congress party accused of failing to maintain peace while eviction is carried out with allegedly inadequate warning. Still tense, the area remains in the aftermath of the violent clash that had taken place as locals and political leaders of the opposition continue to deal with it.

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