The situation in western Assam where Muslims and Bodos have indulged in violence is a serious cause of concern.
The week-long violence has claimed over 40 lives and has left over 2 lakh homeless. The bodies have begun to pile up on the streets.
On the sixth day of the ethnic violence, the number of people packed into relief camps reached 180,000.
Indefinite curfew continues to remain imposed in two districts of Assam\\\’s north-west, while shoot-at-sight orders also continue to remain in place in four districts – Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Chirang and Bongaigaon.
Rail traffic has also come to halt. More than 30,000 passengers, who are still stranded in New Bongaigaon, Kamakhyaguri and New Jalpaiguri stations of the NFR section, complained of food and water crisis.
Boro, along with hundreds of others from the hamlet, abandoned their villages fearing attacks by Muslims. While Bodos are heading towards Kokrajhar where they are in a majority, Bengali-speaking Muslims are taking refuge in Dhubri where they outnumber others.
Amid rumours that Bangladeshi agencies had a hand in the clashes, the Centre ruled out the possibility.
Meanwhile, the police say that there is strong possibility of involvement of insurgents in the violence as the Well the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) belongs to the Bodo community.
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi has been heavily criticised for failing to tackle the lawlessness in the state and not taking the issue seriuosly.
If Gogoi would had taken timely action on the report by the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) vice president YL Karna on the brewing tension between Bodos amd Muslims, mostly illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, the riot could have been averted.
The central government, although said it was trying to bring the riot under control, but apparently it looked to be in no position to set a time-frame to effect any change for the better
The latest violence erupted just days after floods killed more than 100 people and left at least 400,000 homeless in Assam.
Root Cause
Ringed by China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan, India\\\’s northeast is home to more than 200 ethnic and tribal groups and has been racked by separatist revolts since India\\\’s independence from Britain in 1947.
In recent years, Assam tribes have vented strong anti-immigrant sentiment against settlers from Bangladesh, which neighbours the state. The major issue being land grabbing, the Bodos feel insecure-culturally, politically and economically.
Bodos have felt marginalised in their homeland by waves of immigration from Bangladesh since the 1950s.
The Bodos feel neglected by the central government and accuse the non-tribal majority of Assam of exploiting them and letting the flow of immigrants continue.