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Adivasi-locals clash could have been prevented: panel

Special Correspondent

Suggests probe by Central or State agency

Guwahati: The Justice Manisana Commission, which probed the November 24, 2007 clashes between adivasi protestors and residents of the Beltola locality here, has concluded that the meeting and the procession taken out by the All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AASAA) were unlawful from the beginning and could have been nipped in the bud to prevent the clashes but it was not done for reasons best known to the authorities concerned.

“The meeting and/or procession were unlawful from the beginning. The assembly on the grounds of the Dakhin Beltola High School or the procession could have been nipped in the bud, but it was not done for reasons best known to the authorities concerned,” the Commission stated in its report that was tabled on the floor of the Assam Assembly on Wednesday.

The Commission said there were “superficial or few police forces” during the marching of the procession and therefore, the damage caused to properties and assault on locals could not be prevented and it took about one and a half hour to control the crowd. The probe panel concluded that there was no anticipatory action for the purpose of maintaining public order and “the absence of sufficient police force is to be explained by the authorities concerned in maintenance of law and order, especially with reference to Section 90-95 of the Assam Police Act.”

However, to identify the persons responsible for violence the probe panel suggested investigation of the entire matter by an agency of either the Central government or the State government.

Action taken report

The State government in its Action Taken Report on the findings stated that it has already requested the government of India to instruct the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to go into the matter.

The 69-page probe report stated that “while the adivasis were marching in a procession some sections of the marchers were carrying weapons of various kinds and assaulted local people and damaged vehicles, roadside shops, business institutions and residential houses by breaking glasses of the windows by throwing stones/bricks and using weapons which they were carrying.”

About the attack on adivasi protestors, the Commission said taking advantage of the helpless situation of the retreating marchers when dispersed by police, the agitated local people “who were provoked by the activities of some of the marchers when the procession was on took revenge on the retreating marchers and assaulted them.”

Conspiracy

The Commission is of the view that “there was a prima facie case of conspiracy among some of the adivasis at the instigation of the AANLA (All Adivasi National Liberation Army).” “The AANLA leaders instigated some sections of the people in the meeting and also in the procession to assault people and to cause damage to vehicles, roadside shops, residential buildings and other institutions.” The report further stated that the “AANLA had an ulterior motive in order to get an advantage from or out of the meeting”

The clashes left an adivasi protestor dead and more than 190 persons injured. A fleeing adivasi girl was stripped naked and assaulted by three youths in full public view during the clash. However, a local resident rescued her.

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