GUWAHATI
The Assam police issued a directive on Thursday (August 22, 2024), asking “all field formations” to take strict action against anyone trying to break the law.
The directive from Director General of Police Gyanendra Pratap Singh followed a few incidents of criminal acts where the victim and the accused belong to different communities. At least three such incidents triggered an Assamese versus “outsiders” row, with members of local pressure groups shutting down business establishments and calling for the ejection of non-Assamese communities from the State.
“It is advised that district police units, along with Thana Level Nagrik Committees and District Administration, should have regular meetings with stakeholders from all communities and strive to maintain amity among different communities,” the directive read.
‘No instant justice’
In the directive, the DGP said that there should be no space for resorting to instant justice or action beyond the law by any section of the people, adding that any failure of field police units to ensure the rule of the law will be viewed adversely and dealt with accordingly.
Assam has a history of conflicts between the khilonjia (indigenous) and the bohiragata (outsider). The conflict was rekindled when two “non-Assamese” men allegedly assaulted a 17-year-old Assamese girl in eastern Assam’s Sivasagar town on August 13.
Who constitutes the Assamese has not been defined yet, although Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that people whose families have lived in the State for at least three generations or more than 100 years can be considered indigenous.
Anger against ‘outsiders’
The two men from the Marwari community were arrested and booked under the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. However, members of 30 Assamese nationalist organisations took to the streets and whipped up anger against all “outsiders” or non-locals.
The row ended with representatives of the Marwari community kneeling to apologise in the presence of Education Minister Ranoj Pegu and offering ₹2 lakh as compensation to the assaulted girl, an arm wrestler.
A few days later, a Hindi-speaking motor parts dealer in Tinsukia town was accused of abusing an Assamese client. Members of 14 local organisations got together and locked the dealer’s shop, apart from seeking an apology from him.
The third such incident over the parking of a two-wheeler in front of a shop was reported from Nagaon town.