Jorhat, Jul 28 : A peace committee has been constituted and security
beefed up to defuse ethnic tension and thwart militant attacks along the
Golaghat-Karbi Anglong boundary in Assam.
The 30-member peace committee, comprising the tea community, Karbi villagers
and officials of Golaghat and Karbi Anglong administrations, was formed in a
meeting held at Kohora police outpost a couple of days back.
The committee has decided to hold a public meeting soon to instil peace
between the tea community and Karbi villagers.
Ethnic tension had gripped the inter-district bordering areas following the
abduction of a tea leader by Karbi militants from Hatikhuli tea estate in
Golaghat district about a fortnight back. Hatikhuli is located along the border
of the two districts with a part of the estate falling in Karbi Anglong.
The outfit released the abducted person within a couple of days following a
threat from the tea community to attack Karbi villages located on the other side
of the boundary, but warned the labourers of Hatikhuli to shun work till the
management paid up the money demanded by it.
However, the labourers resumed work under security provided by Golaghat
district administration, after suspending activities for a day.
A few days ago, militants attacked and injured a woman employee of Hatikhuli
tea estate at its Rangajan division, triggering panic among the labourers who
approached the Golaghat administration to take the necessary steps. Following
this, the peace committee was formed and additional forces were deputed at the
garden and the inter-district border.
The Karbi Anglong administration also beefed up security along the border
following the attack.
The assistant secretary of the Bokakhat unit of the Assam Tea Tribes Students
Association, Anit Gaur, said the tea community had nothing against the Karbi
villagers but if Karbi militants continued to target people of the community,
the ATTSA would not sit quietly.
“The Karbi villagers should prevail upon the militants not to target tea
garden labourers as they are normal people who work hard to earn a living. We
have nothing to say about militants demanding money from the garden management
but they should not target the labourers,” he said.
Gaur, who is also a member of the peace committee, said they would appeal to
Karbi militants not to harm the tea community, as this would only create bad
blood between the two communities.
He said normal functioning at the tea estate had also been hampered as the
labourers were working under constant fear of militants who might swoop in at
any time from across the border.
