The Hindu : Front Page : 7 killed in Assam police firing

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Thursday, Jan 03, 2008
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7 killed in Assam police firing

Sushanta Talukdar

Indefinite curfew in Lakhipur; Army called out for flag march

Guwahati: Seven persons were killed and at least 16 injured in police firing in lower Assam’s Goalpara district on Wednesday.

The firing was resorted to thrice in the day as mobs attacked a police station and torched police and public vehicles during a road blockade programme.

They were protesting against deferment of panchayat polls in areas under the Rabha Hasong Autonomus Council (RHAC).

An indefinite curfew was clamped at 5 p.m. in areas under the Lakhipur police station where the police resorted to firing twice to disperse mobs that attacked the station. The Army was called out for staging a flag march to prevent a flare-up.

The violence broke out during a three-day-long road blockade that began on Tuesday. It was called by the non-Rabha Coordination Forum to press for its demand for holding panchayat elections in villages dominated by non-Rabha communities falling under the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC).

The Election Commission deferred elections in the RHAC areas following violent protests by organisations of the Rabha communities led by the All-Rabha Students’ Union (ARSU), which opposed the holding of panchayat polls.

The State government had recommended to the Election Commission to defer panchayat polls.

Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) D. K. Pathak told The Hindu that a large crowd of protesters had attacked the Lakhipur station and injured the officer-in-charge and other police personnel. Police had to open fire and one person was killed.

Two more protesters were killed and several injured when the police opened fire for the second time around 3.10 p.m.

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