Assam resembles GHOST town as bandh cripples normal life

Schools, public transport and other government offices remained shut after several organisations, including the Asom Gana Parishad, called for a bandh to protest police brutality in the Golaghat district. Anurag Kashyap reports

Normal life was disrupted on Thursday after several organisations, including the Asom Gana Parishad, called a bandh in the district to protest police brutality and firing on protesters on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, three persons were killed in police firing and scores were injured triggering a statewide protest against ‘police excess’. Police attacked and fired on the locals who were protesting against the government government’s failure to restore normalcy along the Assam-Nagaland border in Golaghat district.

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Public transport was brought to a halt after the bandh was announced. Government offices, private organisations, business houses and educational institutions also remained shut, throwing normal life of out of gear in the state.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army also staged a flag march in Golaghat and its neighbouring areas on Thursday. The town wore a deserted look with most people opting to stay indoors.

Curfew was also clamped in Golaghat’s Bokakhat sub-division as a pre-emptive measure after protesters had stormed the highway leading to Nagaland.

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Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju also arrived in the state capital on Thursday to take stock of the situation and to meet the chief ministers of Assam and Nagaland. Sources say the three will discuss ways to hammer out a solution to the Assam-Naga violence and defuse the tension that is prevalent.

On Wednesday, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi asked the Centre for the deployment of more troops to the state to tackle situation arising out of the growing mass protests against the attacks on Assamese villagers by armed Naga miscreants