Dima Hasao bandh: Mob attacks train passengers, police fire in

A mob here today attacked a Silchar-bound train from Guwahati and pulled out passengers to prevent them from continuing their journey during a 12-hour Dima Hasao district bandh following which police baton charged the protesters and fired in the air to control them.

Police officials said no one was injured in the firing but some people suffered minor injuries as they fell while trying to escape from the spot.

Various organisations of the district jointly called the bandh from 5 am today in protest against purported reports on inclusion of Dima Hasao in Greater Nagalim.

The police had first baton charged the protesters and burst teargas shells as they threw stones at the personnel, damaged railway property, blocked rail tracks and uprooted them, the officials said.
 

As the mob turned its ire at the police and threw stones at them, the force resorted to firing in the air, they said.

The district deputy commissioner and superintendent of police along with security personnel rushed to the area.

The train passengers were evacuated from the station to nearby schools and provided food by the authorities, they said.

The bandh supporters have also demanded an apology from the RSS organiser in the northeast, Jagadamba Mall, for his purported statement on inclusion of Dima Hasao in Greater Nagalim in the draft Naga accord between the rebels and the Centre.

Kailen Daulagupu, the president of Jadikhe Naiso Hosom (JNH), a Dimasa community apex body which is among the organisations which called the bandh, said it was also in protest against the lack of response from the authorities on the issue and demanded an apology from Mall for his statement.

He said that the organisations had submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner on their demands.

According to media reports, Mall had come up with a draft peace agreement which he claimed to have prepared after a thorough research of the people in the region and their sentiments for the last 45 years as experienced by him.