An orgy of ethnic violence and unrest, coupled with an increase in cases of abductions by militants and a major showdown between the two warring camps in the ruling Congress party, made Assam hit the headlines throughout the year 2013.
Violence at the very onset of the new year, where a blast killed three minors in January in Digboi in Upper Assam, set the tone for the rest of the year. Then, be it in Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) or Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts (BTAD) or Karbi Anglong district, Assam was witness to enough of killing in the form of ethnic violence and civil unrest throughout the year 2013. Cases of abductions of top company officials by militants for ransom also sent chill down the spine of all those who hailed from outside the region but were employed with companies in Assam.
Fraud by chit-fund companies also left many teary faces in Assam in 2013. Dissidence in the ruling Congress party, followed by badmouthing and mudslinging between the two camps, kept Assam's political atmosphere hot throughout 2013.
The unrest and violence in RHAC area (comprising the districts of Kamrup (rural) and Goalpara in the south bank of river Brahmaputra in Lower Assam and inhabited by people of Rabha tribe), which started in January and continued for a month, saw the death of at least 22 people. At least 13 people (part of a mob) were killed on a single day by security forces when they indulged in violence to stall the panchayat elections on February 12.
The Rabhas were opposed to the decision of the government holding panchayat elections prior to the council elections, which were to be held later this year for the first time since the formation of the autonomous council in 1995.
There were also large-scale clashes and violence between Rabha groups and non-Rabha groups (non-Rabha groups indulged in violence as they demanded deletion of non-Rabha majority dominated villages from the council prior to holding of council polls) which killed at least 9 persons. Panic-stricken people took shelters at various relief camps.
Army had to be deployed to bring the situation in Rabha Hasong under control.Unrest also did spread to adjoining BTAD, which had witnessed large-scale violence between the indigenous Bodo tribe and illegal immigrants from Bangladesh the previous year. After a lull of few months, violence and unrest again reared its ugly head in Rabha Hasong in October-November, prior to holding of the council polls.
This time, the violence was mostly engineered by non-Rabha groups as they wanted to sabotage the polls.
For Assam, which sits on a tinderbox full of sub-nationalistic aspirations, the Centre's decision to create a separate state of Telangana ignited a fresh series unrest in many parts.
Large-scale violence and arson engulfed the whole of Karbi Anglong district as Karbis too demanded a separate homeland. Violence was also witnessed in BTAD for a full-fledged state of Bodoland and by Koch-Rajbongshi groups, who had been demanding a separate state of Kamtapur.
As far as violence and killing by militant outfits, particularly by anti-talk faction of Ulfa, anti-talk faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and Karbi Peoples' Liberation Front (KPLT), are concerned, the year 2013 was no aberration. Sporadic cases of killing, abductions, extortions, encounter killing were almost the order of the day throughout state and particularly in BTAD in 2013.
Since December 28, the Karbi Anglong district has been burning again after KPLT militants torched few villages inhabited by Naga tribes. Curfew is under imposition in parts of the district and unconfirmed reports put the death toll at seven.
