5 Bengali Speaking Villagers Killed by Militants in Assam, ULFA Denies Involvement

GUWAHATI: Assam tense after five villagers were gunned down by armed militants on Thursday evening. In the midst of the agitations across the state against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016, killing of the five Bengali Hindus might lead to more trouble in the state.

All the victims are Bengali Hindus identified as Shyamlal Biswas, Avinash Biswas, Ananta Biswas, Dhananjay Namasudra and Subal Das.

Sahadev Namasudro who survived the killing said that the motorbike-borne militants asked the group of villagers to follow them to a nearby place at around 8 pm at Kherbari village which is around 6 kilometres from the Dhola-Sadia bridge on the river Brahmaputra.

“We were asked to follow them (militants). They came to us and told us that there were some points to be discussed. But after walking for a few minutes they asked us to sit in a row and started firing. It was dark and smoky. I slipped off and remained still for a few minutes. They thought I’m dead. Then I ran after they left,” a trembling Sahadev Namasudro told reporters.

The police suspected it to be the work of ULFA (Independent),but the banned outfit led by Paresh Baruah on Friday morning denied its involvement in the killings.

“Five villagers have been killed by the militants. Six militants came in two motor bikes,” said a police official investigating the incident.

After the incident the locals have accused the police and administration for failing to provide them security.

“We have been living here for ages. We are poor people we don’t know about politics. We don’t understand what these murderers will gain by killing us. The police and administration must take the responsibility. Now we are scared,” Subimal Biswas, a local, told The Citizen.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh and Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal condemned the killings and assured that all action will be taken to punish the culprits.

Earlier, Paresh Baruah had claimed responsibility of a low intensity bomb blast a few weeks back in Guwahati where they claimed to be targeting the supporters of the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016.

The controversial bill which endorses citizenship for non-Muslim migrants from the neighbouring countries who has come here until December 31 of 2014 has been the centre of debate and discussion in the state for quite some time.

Many organizations in the state have been opposing the bill saying that if it’s passed, thousands of Hindu migrants will be accommodated in the state.