Assam

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the suspected terrorist attack at Balajan Tiniali Bazar near Kokrajhar town, headquarters of the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) administration. At least 14 innocent people were killed and 20 seriously injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire at the weekly bazar.

The CPI(M) state committees in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamilnadu and  Assam are scheduled to meet to prepare a detailed review of the CPI(M)’s performance in the elections and the post election political situation arising in these states.  On the basis of these review reports prepared by the state committees, the Central Committee will conduct its review at its forthcoming meeting from June 18-20.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the killings perpetrated by the gangs belonging to an extremist Bodo organisation. Forty eight adivasis including women and children were shot dead in five places in the jurisdiction of the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD) in Assam.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the savage killing of 31 people by Bodo extremist elements in Kokrajhar and adjoining districts of the Bodoland Territorial Council. This shocking attack targeting Bengali Muslims in various villages has led to the death of a large number of women and children.

The withdrawal of the TMC from the government, even the partners of the UPA government differing with the anti-people measures adopted – all go to show that the Manmohan Singh government has no mandate to push through such reforms. The September 20 all India protest and hartal showed the discontent and fighting mood of the people. The Central Committee resolved to intensify the movements and struggles in defence of people’s livelihood and to mobilize the people against high level corruption.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its grave concern at the escalating violence in Assam which is taking a communal turn and is spreading from the Bodo Territorial Administered District and Kokhrajar to neighbouring districts and areas. It is indeed deeply disturbing that over 35 people have lost their lives, several are untraced, over 50 villages have been burnt, thousands have been forced to flee from their homes. Tragically the insecurity is so high among all communities that even those in relief camps do not feel safe.

This is a monumental failure of the Congress led Government in Assam which refused to take timely action allowing the tensions to increase from the first incident on July 6th. Even earlier the warning signs of distrust and tensions among different communities was ignored. The Central Government must explain why it too delayed its response to the violence. 

The ferry accident, coming in the wake of similar incidents earlier, highlights the lack of safety regulations being observed in the ferries plying in the Brahmaputra. Steps should be taken immediately to ensure that all safety measures on the passenger boats are implemented.

The CPI(M) accepts the verdict of the people. The Party will analyse the results carefully and come to proper conclusions about the electoral reverse. After the Left Front being in office for a record 34 years continuously, the people have opted for a change. The TMC-led combine has been the beneficiary of this change.