By IANS
Ranchi : The Jharkhand government has condemned Saturday’s mob violence on Santhali tribal protestors in Assam and sought security for them.
Condemning the incident Chief Minister Madhu Koda said, “The Assam government should provide security to tribals residing there.”
State government officials are in regular touch with their Assam counterparts and are seeking security for the state’s tribal people, who work in tea gardens in the state.
Former central minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren has also condemned the clash. “We condemn the killing in strong words and demand that the Assam government ensure the security and safety of the Santhali tribals,” said Soren.
The state government has constituted a team, headed by Shibu Soren and Jharkhand Human Resources Development Minister Bandhu Tirkey, that will visit Guwahati and assess the situation.
Arjun Munda, former chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, has flown to Guwahati in the aftermath of the violence in which one person was killed and 230 were injured Saturday when local residents and activists of the All Assam Adivasi Students’ Association (AAASA) clashed in the city streets.
“The Assam government must ensure safety of tribal residing there. People of Assam should not forget the contribution of Santhali tribal who work in the tea gardens. Assam government has failed to curb the killing,” said Munda.
In Ranchi, different tribal associations took out processions to protest against the mob violence that took place in Guwahati Saturday.
According to local media, around 20 Santhali tribals were killed in the clash.