The Adivasi settlers in western and northern Assam, who are mostly Christians, were targeted by the tribal militants on December 23 evening killing over 80 people including village women and minor children.
The Assam police suspect it’s a handiwork of breakaway faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), which opposes peace talks with the Union government in New Delhi. Led by IK Songbijit, the banned outfit is termed responsible for the killing of hundreds non-tribal residents of the locality which is locally ruled by the Bodoland Territorial Council.
By Nava J. Thakuria
On the fateful evening, armed cadres belonged to NDFB (Songbijit faction) targeted the Adivasi villagers in various locations and started indiscriminate firing, when most of the victim families were preparing for the Holy Christmas. Sonitpur, Kokrajhar and Chirang district of Assam witnessed the casualties.
Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Rajnath Singh separately condemned the incident of killing innocent people in Assam.
Prime Minister Modi sanctioned ex-gratia of rupees two lakhs each to the next of kin of the deceased and rupees 50000 to the seriously injured persons. He also spoke to Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi assuring all possible helps from the Centre.
The Union home minister asserted that the killing innocent people for any cause can never be justified. He informed that 5000 paramilitary personnel were already sent to Assam for assisting the local forces for maintaining the law and order situation. He also visited some affected areas and interacted with various organizations.
Earlier Assam government chief Gogoi strongly condemned the killing of innocent people and warned that he would never tolerate the terror activities by the militants. Gogoi, also in charge of home portfolio, meanwhile asked some of his ministers to leave for the affected areas to take stock of the situation after consolidating the affected residents.
Various civil society and rights groups have condemned the brutalities of the militants and demanded strong actions against the culprits. Demonstrating their angers against the government for its failure to protect the lives of innocent people, the agitating organisations adopted various means of protests.
Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) came out with a strong statement against the militants and termed the violence as a crime against humanity as defined under the Rome Statute of International Criminal Court.
“The incident is a stark reminder that India is no less vulnerable than Pakistan which witnessed the massacre of school children by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan on 16 December 2014,” said the statement signed by ACHR director Suhas Chakma.
Regrettably even after such repeated massacres of the innocent civilians in Assam, in the past, neither First Information Reports were registered nor accountability for the responsibility of commanders and the superiors of those involved in these heinous crimes was established by the government, added Chakma.
Similarly WinG India, a network of women human rights defenders in India strongly condemned the recent mass killing of unarmed civilians belonging to marginalised group of tea labourers known as the Adivasis in Assam.
“We are deeply concerned over the frequent killings of unarmed civilians by the armed groups as well as by the government forces in the State as observed in the year 2014. We also appeals all the groups taking part in the ongoing armed conflict to refrain from violence and not to target civilians at any time,” said a statement issued by the network.
WinG India also expressed concern over the recurring targeted mass massacres of marginalised and vulnerable communities resulting large number of internally displaced populations, loss of life and property. It also pointed out that India must recognise the situation as armed conflict situation in the line of international standard and adopt measures and policies to meet it’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and UNSCR 1325 and 1820.
“Authorities must also disarm all the surrendering/non-surrendering armed groups and must adopt the Global Arms Trade Treaty….. It should provide immediate relief & rehabilitation and ensure access to justice by the victims through filing of FIRs, proper investigation, and fixing responsibility of the officers responsible for ensuring security and by bringing the perpetrators to trial..” added the statement.
