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Updated November 2nd, 2018 at 21:22 IST

How five civilians were gunned down and one miraculously escaped in Assam's Tinsukia, before politicians swooped in with communal agendas

Five civilians were gunned down by suspected ULFA militants. The victims were identified as Shyamlal Biswas, Ananta Biswas, Abhinash Biswas, Subal Biswas and Dhananjay Namasudra. Their last names soon suppressed their identities as human beings.

Reported by: Anirudha Bhakat
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It was around 7.30pm, in a region of India where the sun rises very early and sets similarly. The residents of the small village of Kherbari, as well as those of the adjoining villages, were fast falling asleep. The cool breeze running alongside the mighty Brahmaputra, also known as the Lohit in this part of Assam, had already brought the winter flavour in the area. But the silence of the evening was brought to an end by sudden gunshots. 

Five civilians were gunned down by suspected ULFA militants. The victims were identified as Shyamlal Biswas, Ananta Biswas, Abhinash Biswas, Subal Biswas and Dhananjay Namasudra. Their last names soon suppressed their identities as human beings. Political leaders came together to condemn it, but some, such as West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee didn't miss the opportunity to give the entire incident a communal colour. So did former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who trained his guns on the government and also called for a CBI probe, as he announced that the Sarbananda Sonowal-led BJP government has failed miserably. 

Where, How and What Actually Happened?

Kherbari is situated on the banks of Brahmaputra in Dhola. Dhola, in Tinsukia district of Assam, was in the news the last time on May 26, 2017, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Setu, also known as the Dhola Sadiya Bridge, the longest bridge in India.

As mentioned, people living in this area often go to sleep early. The two or three shops at the chowk were also being closed by their owners. Suddenly, a group dressed in camouflage, equipped with sophisticated weapons arrived on bikes. They summoned six persons to them and took them to an isolated place, a little distance away. They asked them to sit in a row and fired indiscriminately in the air. Upon hearing the gunshots, all of them tried to run for their lives. This time the gunmen aimed at the individuals and fired. Five of them fell to the ground, dead. Sahadev Namasudra, however, miraculously escaped from the jaws of death. During his attempt to flee for his life, Sahadev fell into a ditch and was knocked unconscious. Assuming that all six had died, the gunmen went away on their bikes. 5-10 minutes later, Sahadev regained consciousness only to discover that all 5 others are dead. He ran towards his house raising an alarm. Soon the crowd gathered and the news broke -- that militants have gunned down 5 civilians. 

READ | Security Lapse During CJI Ranjan Gogoi's Visit, Assam Cop Suspended

As the news made it to the news channels and social media, politicians jumped into the fray to react. By then, on the other hand, the chief minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, had already issued instructions to two ministers of his cabinet and the DGP and ADGP of the state to rush to the spot. 

Presumably going by their last names, Mamata Banerjee linked it to the NRC and deliberately gave a communal colour to the entire incident. Back in Assam, meanwhile, political mudslinging over inflammatory speeches and statements took things to another level. 

Early morning, I got a mail from the ULFA-Independent, the anti-talk faction, led by Paresh Baruah, denying their involvement. The blame was soon shifted upon the pro-talks faction by BJP MLA Shiladitya Dev. The other side bounced back at him. As per sources, Shiladitya Dev was brought under house arrest by police. The police also summoned pro-talks faction leaders Mrinal Hazarika in Guwahati and detained Jiten Dutta in Sivasagar. Both the leaders were later arrested. 

What Now?

With demonstrations in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee is leaving no stone unturned in flaring up communal tensions in Assam. The opposition in the state is also playing a damaging role by dragging it into politics. It's the people now, who will have to play the deciding role, keeping in mind that Assam is home to Hemanga Biswas and Nachiketa as much as Bengal and Kolkata is home to Dr Bhupen Hazarika and Zubeen. Rabindranath Tagore remains an inspiration to Assam as much it is for Bengal.

 

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Published November 2nd, 2018 at 20:24 IST

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