By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Seven student activists were killed and more than hundreds injured, when police opened firing on a peaceful gathering of All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) activists in Barpeta district on July 21, 2010. They had gone to meet the Deputy Commissioner of Barpeta district and give him a memorandum, asking him to fix anomalies and discrepancies related to the procedure of National Register of Citizens (NRC), at present going on pilot basis in Barpeta and Chayagaon revenue circles.
AAMSU sources told TwoCircles.net that contrary to the official version and the news in mainstream media, which says that AMSU activist went on rampage and damaged shops and burnt vehicle, they were waiting for the Deputy Commissioner of Barpeta at his office.
It all started at around 11 AM, when even after 45 minutes the DC didn’t turn up. Meanwhile some goons of All Assam Students Union (AASU) came and in the presence of police, started attacking peaceful AAMSU activists without any provocation. Instead of mediating and trying to solve things out, police opened fire on the completely unarmed AAMSU crowd.
Abdur Rahim Khan, secretary AIUDF and a resident of Barpeta, told this correspondent that AAMSU activists were being attacked simultaneously from the police and violent AASU goons. As a result of police firing 6 student activists died on the spot while another succumbed to injuries at Guwahati Medical College Hospital. The injured were admitted to the Barpeta Civil Hospital and those with serious injuries to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital.
AAMSU sources denied any involvement in any violent activity as it is being circulated in mainstream media by the district administration. Mr. Khan pointed out that these were AASU activists who started burning vehicles and shops and not the AAMSU activists.
He accused the local administration of being hand in gloves with the AASU which is known for its militant anti-foreigner stand. AAMSU has been working for the interests of Muslims in the state including Bengali speaking Muslims. This has led to violent clashes between the two groups in the recent past.
On the other hand, reacting strongly to the news of police firing on a peaceful crowd, Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, president of All India United Democratic Front, met P Chidambaram, home minister and presented him with a memorandum demanding an inquiry in the episode and strong action against those responsible for the unprovoked firing.
This case of police firing is second in recent history. The first one was in Lakhipur in 2008 when police opened fire on a peaceful demonstration during a Panchayat election in which 6 people were killed.
AAMSU has been demanding postponement of the NRC because there are serious anomalies in the list of NRC 1951, electoral roll of 1966 and that of 1971. For instance thousands of names are missing from the published copies of electoral rolls of 1966 and 1971 and there are hundreds of cases where the names of people on these lists have been eaten by insects because of which, it is impossible for thousands of Bengali speaking population of Barpeta to get them registered.