The Tarun Gogoi government is squarely to blame for the escalation of riots between Bodo and Muslim groups in the Kokrajhar district of Assam, which have claimed more than 40 lives and forced over a lakh of people to flee their homes. The army was called in only after the situation spiralled out of control. The shoot-at-sight orders came a little too late in the day. The Chief Minister, who remained a silent spectator for a week, suddenly decided to visit the affected areas as if to announce a truce. The State has failed in its primary duty to protect its people and property. Had it been more proactive in responding to the situation, it would not have deteriorated so much.
Prabhu Raj,Chennai
I would like to extend my sympathy to the innocent victims of the riots. The violence is the result of simmering discontent among the locals who see migrants as competitors and a potential threat to their livelihood and resources.
Every Indian has the fundamental right to settle anywhere in India. But this right has not been widely accepted in many places. It is the responsibility of the State governments to treat everyone settled in their territory as a local. Migrants add to the economic prosperity and human resource of the States.
Rahul Jayadas,Thiruvananthapuram
The violence in Assam in the past one week has engendered a humanitarian catastrophe of enormous proportions. There is no point in indulging in a blame game. The government’s priority should be to avoid further bloodshed, provide relief to those who have fled their homes and restore normality. The problem is complex as it involves demography, ethnicity, religion, politics, migration, identity, economics, culture, territory and control over land and other resources. Obviously, there can be no quick-fix solutions.
G. David Milton,Maruthancode
That the Assam government could not contain the raging violence which claimed more than 40 lives in seven days is a matter of shame. The State Intelligence failed miserably. Local politicians have already started exploiting the situation. The Centre too is to blame because it did not heed reports and warnings on the simmering unrest.
M. Somasekhar Prasad,Badvel
It is unfortunate that a region synonymous with beautiful green expanses, lush forests, sparkling rivers, and gentle people has lost its peace. To blame government laxity alone would be a gross misrepresentation of facts. More often than not, people get frustrated in a lopsided society favouring the rich and the affluent. One hopes the people of the northeast will receive assistance and support from the rest of the country and find an amicable solution to their problems.
R. Anuradha,Bangalore
The media, which was in the forefront to indict Narendra Modi for his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, has been very guarded in reporting the Assam riots. It has refrained from criticising the failure of the Congress government in controlling the disturbances.
Jorhat Singh,Mumbai
