Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday blamed the Central government for the situation in the disputed areas of the Assam-Nagaland border while clarifying that trouble-torn sectors of the inter-state border were under the administrative control of the neutral force CRPF since 1979.
Informing that he spoke to Union home minister Rajnath Singh to brief him on the situation, Mr Gogoi told reporters that Naga insurgents were involved in arson and violence in the disputed sectors of Assam’s Golaghat district.
Regretting that neutral forces under the command of the Central government failed to defend the residents of the area from violent attacks of Naga insurgents and locals, Mr Gogoi said, “About 10,000 people have fled their homes from the disputed territory on the Assam-Nagaland border and are taking shelter in eight relief camps set up by administrations in Assam.” Asserting that his government was opposed to the idea of escalating the situation between the two states by starting an economic blockade against Nagaland, Mr Gogoi said, “This disputed territory should not be reason to create tension between the people of two neighbouring states. I would like to request the organisations calling for economic blockade not to do anything that may escalate the situation.”
The problem started on Tuesday when some miscreants fired at a gathering at Chetiagaon. The villagers had gathered near the CRPF camp (stationed as neutral force) in search of two students, who are suspected to have been kidnapped by the NSCN (IM), on July 26. The two kidnapped Class 10 students are still missing.
The local administration has also clamped a curfew in some areas of Golaghat district to defuse the tension. Mr Gogoi said his government was ready to extend help in rehabilitating displaced people back to their villages. “We are asking them to go back to their respective villages so that their lands are not snatched away by miscreants,” said Mr Gogoi.