At least nine persons dead in Kokrajhar district, curfew imposed; Editor in chief of News Live Channel resigns in lieu to the molestation case in Assam; Centre rules out Bodoland demand; Northeast separatist leader arrested in New Delhi; 72 ultras surrend
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    • (JULY 16-22)

    According to reports, tension prevailed as indefinite curfew was imposed in Kokrajhar town following sporadic group violence which left at least nine persons dead in Kokrajhar district. The sporadic violence rattled the law-and-order situation in the district with the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Chief Hagrama Mohilary appealing Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for enhanced security force at the vulnerable areas of Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD) where the communities are at a minority. Addressing a press conference, Mohilary claimed that the group clashes in some places are political conspiracies to unsettle the bond between the two communities. He also appealed to maintain brotherhood and peace. The violence began following the lynching of four youths by some miscreants at Joypur under Kokrajhar Police Station. The retaliatory incidents this morning were reported from Duramari and Narabari under Kokrajhar Police Station and Kodaldoha under Fakiragram Police Station. The Kokrajhar district administration also promulgated Section 144 CrPC throughout the district. 1

    In another development, according to reports, Atanu Bhuyan, the editor-in-chief of NewsLive channel, on July 17, 2012 announced his decision to quit following widespread criticism of the telecast of the molestation of a teenage girl on July 9, 2012. Bhuyan made the announcement at a press conference. Channel reporter Gaurav Jyoti Neog has been accused of instigating the mob to strip the teen after she came out of a pub on the busy GS Road. 2

    According to reports, ruling out the possibility of acceding to the demands for creation of a separate Bodoland, the Centre has asked the NDFB (P) to lay down arms within three months to ensure further progress in the dialogue process. The Centre has also held back extension of the ceasefire with NDFB (P) faction owing to reluctance on part of the militant outfits to surrender their weapons. The Bodo militant outfit has sought another extension of the ceasefire for a year. The ceasefire with NDFB (P) has expired on June 30, pending further extension. But the Centre has conveyed that it may be willing to extend the suspension of operation pact for another three months, within which they expected the NDFB (P) to lay down arms. 3

    According to reports, a top leader of a separatist outfit operating in the Northeast was arrested by a combined team of Delhi Police and Mizoram Police from Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. Hmar People's Convention-Democrats (HPC-D) self-styled chairman H Sangbera was arrested at the airport on July 17, 2012 night soon after he landed from (Manipur capital) Imphal by a flight via Guwahati. 4
    Reports noted that a total of 72 armed underground cadres belonging to eight different groups operating in Manipur laid down arms and surrendered to the Assam Rifles authority in a home coming ceremony on July 20, 2012. Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh accompanied by Home Minister Gaikhangam and Director General of Police Y Joykumar besides Inspector General of Assam Rifles (South) Major General UK Gurung welcomed the ultras by receiving the arms and ammunition in presence of relatives of the underground cadres. The surrendered underground cadres belong to United National Liberation Front (UNLF), People’s Liberation Front (PLA), Kangleipak Communist Party, People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (Prepak), Kuki National Liberation Front (KNLF), Manipur Naga Revolutionary Front (MNRF) and People’s United Liberation Front (PULF). 5

    In other developments, reports noted that following gun attack on a lady journalist by unidentified assailants that left the State’s Press fraternity shocked and baffled, the Arunachal Press Club and Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists vehemently condemned the firing incident, demanding the government to arrest the culprit(s) within a week. In their harshest ever resolution, the press fraternity, backed by management/ owners, decided to go for one-day shutdown of all media houses on July 17, 2012 and to boycott all news and advertisements of the State Government for a period of 15 days as a mark of protest. 6

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