Police fired in the air to quell a mob who pelted stones at the security men injuring five of them in the silk town of Sualkuchi in lower Assam's Kamrup (Rural) district this evening.
Protesting that the silk thread brought in from other parts of the country was affecting the Assamese unique golden Muga Silk and white Paat silk industry, the local people burnt the imported silk thread, police sources said.
Trouble began when the protesters forcibly brought out silk clothes from shops and attempted to set them ablaze triggering clash between the people and the shop owners, the sources said.
When police tried to prevent the people from burning the clothes, the mob pelted stones at the police injuring five of them.
To control the situation, police fired 15 rounds in air, Additional Superintendent of Police Hemanta Das said.
Local people, mostly engaged in the Assam silk worm rearing and weaving industry in Sualkuchi have been agitating for some time against the use of outside silk by traders for preparing traditional attires as it was cheap and had a better finish than the local silk varieties.
