Situation in Silchar under control after the unsavoury incident
Silchar, August 26: It was a well known pattern and design, deliberate and premeditated, to inflame communal passion and frenzy. The time was just 8 pm past on Sunday when the priest of Narsing temple with the deities of Shiva and Kali, Bijan Chakraborty, saw a large piece of flesh and bone hanging from the main gate of the place of worship, located at Rongpur on the other side of river Barak in the north. Immediately, the priest brought it to the notice of members of managing committee of the temple.
Sukumar Dutta, advocate and a member of the committee, informed the district and police administration of the incident. The in–charge of patrol post nearby, Atikur Rahman, ASI, rushed to the spot with a team of police, took possession of the flesh and bone and went back to the outpost. When the agitated people wanted to know all about the objectionable object and the animal, cow or goat, from which it was segregated. The in charge in his attempt to down play a serious incident aimed at defiling the temple which added fuel to the fire. It was all due to the immaturity and lack of wisdom on the part of Atikur Rahman.
Emotionally surcharged mob of hundreds having failed to get any satisfactory answer about the identity of the object which was made to vanish by Atikur Rahman led them to vent out their anger and anguish at the outpost. The Panicked in charge thought it wise to escape. In the meantime, all sorts of rumours were afloat which put greater Rongpur area on the boil which spilled over in and around the town.
Aggrieved and agitated people took to the streets, put up blockades on the Barak bridge, stalling the movement of vehicular traffic on NH 37. As the situation was turning grim, the Superintendent of Police, Diganta Bora, Officer in Charge of Sadar Thana, A C Sarma and officer in–charge of Rangirkhari police station, Ditumani Goswami, reached the place with large posse of police and CRPF to control the mob. In their attempt to lift the blockade and to disperse the rampaging mob, the police had to first resort to lathi charge and then lob tear gas shells. The swelling mob only retaliated with stones and all sorts of handy missiles in which SP and several police men were injured.
In the pitched battles that followed between the police and people, several of the members of the public were also injured. Many vehicles came under the attack of mob as they were targeted with stones. In fact, by midnight the situation was brought under control. The Deputy Commissioner, Gokul Mohan Hazarika, apprehending further breach of peace alerted the army to deal with the situation.
Senior citizens from different walks of life while condemning the unsavoury incident reached out to all the communities to maintain peace and harmony and not to be misled by rumours. Appeal was also made by all the political parties, Congress, BJP, AGP, AIUDF, Left Combine, to general people to help the administration in defusing the situation. Considering the overall situation, police patrolling, vigilance and surveillance, particularly in the sensitive areas, have been mounted. According to police sources, there have been no reports of any untoward incident from any part of Barak Valley.
Source: The Sentinel 27.08.2013
