By IANS
Guwahati : Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal visits Assam Tuesday amid a total shutdown enforced by opposition political parties to protest the killings of Hindi-speaking people in the state.
A government spokesperson said the minister would visit the violence-torn Karbi Anglong district in eastern Assam to assess the security situation after separatists killed 28 Hindi-speaking migrant workers in the past week.
Eight more civilians, most of them Assamese, have also been killed in separate attacks and explosions in the state since Aug 5, linked to Independence Day celebrations.
A massive military offensive was launched Monday to neutralise militants of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the Karbi Longri National Liberation Front (KLNLF), both working in tandem in Karbi Anglong district.
“The operations are aimed at dismantling the rebel camps and instilling a sense of confidence among the people in Karbi Anglong district,” Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told IANS.
“The ULFA have set up several bases in Karbi Anglong with the help of KLNLF and the two groups are involved in the recent attacks on Hindi-speakers.”
The 12-hour general strike that began at 5 a.m. to protest the killings of Hindi-speaking people in Assam has brought life to a ground.
A police spokesperson said shops and businesses, educational and financial institutions remain closed across Assam, while most private and public vehicles remained off the roads.
Twelve political parties, including the Communist Part of India and Asom Gana Parishad (Pragatisheel), besides the Purvottar Hindustani Sanmeelan called the shutdown.
“There is no security in Assam with Hindi-speaking people butchered like animals,” said D. Tewari, secretary of the Sanmeelan.
Most victims were from Bihar and Rajasthan who had made Assam their home for decades and were doing petty business or were brick kiln workers, fishermen and daily wage earners.
The army has intensified patrols and aerial surveillance across Assam, while police have set up roadblocks in towns and villages. They also conducted searches in areas known to be infested by militants.
“A maximum security alert was sounded and we are doing our best to control the situation,” the chief minister said.
The ULFA has been fighting for an independent homeland since 1979. The KLNLF, active in eastern Assam, wants more autonomy for the region’s Karbi tribes.
Rebels in insurgency-hit Assam, the largest among the seven northeastern states, have for years boycotted the Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations.
The run-up to the events has always been violent, with ULFA striking vital installations including crude oil pipelines, trains and road and rail bridges, besides targeting federal soldiers.