Guwahati : People living near the Assam-Nagaland border in Golaghat district are fleeing their homes after the death of a person and injuries to three in firing by assailants from Nagaland, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said Thursday.
The district administration has clamped curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the affected Uriamghat area along the border.
Gogoi said about 10,000 people were taking shelter in relief camps set up by the district administration. Eight villages have been affected in the violence.
“There is no fresh incident of violence since last evening (Wednesday). However, people are fleeing their homes as rumours triggered panic in remote places,” Gogoi told reporters here.
The chief minister said Naga militant outfits – supposed to be under ceasefire – may be behind Tuesday night’s firing.
“The area along the Assam-Nagaland border has been under dispute since the creation of Nagaland in 1963 and the CRPF has been stationed there as a neutral force since 1979.
“So, maintenance of law and order there is the responsibility of the CRPF,” Gogoi said.
“Over 100 houses were burnt by miscreants and close to 10,000 people are taking shelter at present in relief camps.”
Gogoi said the government has asked the people to return to their homes and assured them of security.
“I have spoken to Home Minister Rajnath Singh and urged him to send additional forces. We have also offered to help the CRPF there by sending two companies of Assam Police battalions.
“It is not that Nagaland does not want the problem to be solved. The state has also taken steps to defuse the tension,” he said.
Gogoi said Nagaland Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang is likely to meet him Aug 21 over the issue.
He said a case is pending in the Supreme Court on the boundary demarcation between Assam and Nagaland.
“The problem is while Nagaland wants the apex court to go by historical records while demarcating the state boundary, we have been insisting that the court go constitutionally,” he said.