GUWAHATI:
Two women were injured, one of them critically, when a mob from Meghalaya attacked the villagers of Salbari under Boko Police Station in Assam’s Kamrup district on Saturday evening, police said on April 3.
The incident took place four days after the memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K Sangma for a permanent settlement of border disputes in six of 12 areas of differences.
Under the Clause 11 of the MoU, Malang Salbari has been included in Meghalaya while Salbari has remained with Assam. And this has led to a virtual cold war between the people of the two neighbouring villages for the past several days.
On Saturday, the incident took place when a group of people from Malang Salbari came to Salbari in a procession to hold a rally. “A group of people from Malang Salbari came in a procession. They attacked our village. They brought sharp weapons with them. All the women of the village gathered together to resist them from entering the village. But they started beating us. Several women were injured, two of them seriously,” said Griksilla Marak, daughter of Sailendra Sangma of Salbari village.
Marak was also injured in the incident and she lodged an FIR with Boko police station on Sunday.
“During the visit of the regional committee to this village, we told them that we would opt to stay with Assam, not with Meghalaya. This is the reason why they are taking revenge,” said Fridina Marak, an Anganwadi worker of the village.
Confirming the incident, Boko police station officer-in-charge Bijit Pegu said, “Yes, there was an incident yesterday following division of the village. Two persons were injured. We registered a case today (Sunday) under sections 325/3564 and 34 of IPC.”
Senior civil and police officials also visited the spot, on Sunday to take stock of the situation.