Gorukhuti remains tense, government orders judicial probe

Guwahati: Assam government has ordered a probe into the incident that led to the death of three persons and injury to several others including police personnel at Gorukhuti area of Sipjhar locality in central Assam on Thursday while carrying out an eviction drive against the encroachers. The enquiry is understood to be conducted by a retired judge of Gauhati high court.
Meanwhile, the situation at the ground remains tense. The district administration has postponed the evection drive scheduled for Friday too and tightened the security arrangement apprehending mass protests against the government action and any unpleasant development. Meanwhile, many injured individuals were shifted to Guwahati medical college hospital after preliminary treatments.
The declared eviction drive at Gorukhuti area under Darrang district soon turned violent as hundreds of protesting illegal settlers started pelting stones on the police and district administration officials on duty. Some protesters carried handmade weapons and targeted the police and para-military personnel. As the police opened fire for self-defences, two persons were killed and later one more succumbed to injury.
The authority claimed that it has recovered 4,500 bighas of government land from the grab of suspected migrants in the locality. State chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reiterated that the eviction drive will continue until all the areas are made free from the clutch of encroachers. Sarma also urged the opposition political party leaders not to indulge in politics over the eviction drive.
Meanwhile, a viral social media campaign asserts that this is the area of Sipajhar locality where the suspected illegal migrants killed no less than eight indigenous youths in 1983 taking advantage of the socio-political turmoil during the Assam agitation. Promising local youths Bhavani Goswami, Jatin Saharia, Muja Bora, Dimbeswar Deka, Khitey Deka, Hargovinda Goswami, etc were lynched to death by the land grabbing migrants.
“Numerous jihadi elements, fundamentalists and so-called humanists are now making noises in social media supporting the encroachers. Those anti-Assamese campaigners may pose a serious threat to the indigenous population. The organized attacks on Assam police personnel by the land grabbers on 23 September at Gorukhuti area find reflection with the invasion of Mughal general Ram Singh with the diktat from his master Aurangzeb,” stated the viral post.
It also added that the indigenous people of Assam can never forget the 1671 naval battle on mighty river Brahmaputra at Saraighat (now in Guwahati) and the relentless threats to their existence and identities in own homeland. The time has come to stand united for a secured future to the Assamese community and extend pertinent supports to the authority. Encroachers must be evicted under the legal provisions. There should be no compromise, otherwise, the weeping souls of indigenous martyrs will never get the solace.