The Hindu : National : “Ensure protection for North Indians in Assam”

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“Ensure protection for North Indians in Assam”

Neena Vyas

Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs write to Prime Minister; Antony meets group of legislators

NEW DELHI: A few Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs from Bihar have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the plight of Biharis and other North Indians in Assam where they have repeatedly become the target of extremist violence.

The letter, dated January 14, was sent to Dr. Singh through Minister of Defence A.K. Antony, who met the group of Bihari legislators.

Talking to the press later, one of the MLAs, Rameshwar Prasad, said terrorists in Bangladesh were behind large-scale infiltration into India and then on to Assam and they were involved in a spate of violent incidents against North Indians.

The Minister listened to them and promised to speak to the Prime Minister.

The letter — copies of which were released to the press — says the incidents in Assam violate the fundamental principle in the Constitution that grants all Indian citizens the right to work and live in any part of the country. It points out that in November 2005, 23 Bihari labourers were killed in Assam; in April 2006, six Rajasthani businessmen were shot dead and in November the same year, 3 Rajasthani traders were killed; in April 2007, ULFA terrorists killed two labourers from Jharkhand and 18 days later, two traders from Bihar and two tribals were killed and 18 others kidnapped; and on November 27 last year, properties of Biharis were set ablaze by miscreants in Assam.

The BJP MLAs alleged that Bangladeshi extremist organisations had a hand in the violence and the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan was also involved.

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