Tamulpur Police Station
Picketers detained at Tamulpur Police Station. Image - Northeast Now

More than 1200 picketers were detained by police till evening from different parts of Assam on Saturday.

Various organizations including Sadou Asom Bengali Yuba Chatra Federation called for a 12-hour Assam bandh to protest the killings of five Bengali-speaking people by suspected militants belonging to the anti-talk faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-I) in Kherbari village in Dhola of Assam’s Tinsukia district.

The Assam bandh which began at 5 am ended at 5 pm.

Informing about the detention of picketers, on its Twitter handle, the Assam Police on Saturday stated: “More than 1200 picketers detained across the State till Saturday evening. We stand with the people of Assam to ensure public order.”

Also read: Assam: Bandh supporters pelt stones at bus carrying marriage party in Barpeta

Though the bandh affected normal life in various parts of the State with reports of untoward incidents coming in from some areas, the bandh made little impact in Guwahati.

The shutdown mostly affected life in Barak Valley, which is predominantly inhabited by Bengali-speaking people, and parts of the Brahmaputra Valley.

According to information, a marriage party came under attack after miscreants pelted stones on a bus (AS 01H C 3977) on the Barpeta road during the bandh period.

In Dhubri, normal life was paralysed in and across the Dhubri district on Saturday due to the 12-hour Assam bandh. All vehicular movements were badly affected as buses and motor vehicles were off the roads and National Highway-31 wore a deserted look for the most part of the day.

In Barak Valley, unprecedented scenes were witnessed in most parts of the three districts of the region, when the activists of the Congress, the BJP and the Left parties, came under one roof and chanted slogans to make the 12-hour bandh call in Assam, successful.

While the bandh call in the Brahmaputra valley might not have created much of a flutter, the picture was in complete contrast out in Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts of South Assam.

Sensing a total bandh to follow throughout the day, NF Railway authorities were the first to declare a cancellation of all trains from Silchar, running on Saturday morning. Passengers, who had come from far-off places, were seen camping in the waiting areas, accepting the fact that trains would roll out of this station, only later in the evening.

In Darrang, police picked up four picketers for their alleged involvement in an incident of violence bear Borkola chowka under Mangaldai Police Station during the bandh.

SP, Darrang, Sreejith T. while talking to Northeast Now, confirmed apprehension of the four bandh supporters and registering of case against them on the basis of the police complaint lodged by the victim motorcycle rider.

In Baksa district, the police of Tamulpur Police Station detained around 50 picketers who blocked the Guwabari-Nagreejuli-Tamulpur Road at Nagrijuli by burning tyres. However, they were released in the evening.

In Karbi Anglong, there was no impact of the bandh in Diphu as all the educational institutions and shops remained open. There was no public transport but the other vehicular traffic was normal.

While there was mixed response towards the bandh in Bokajan, in Dongkamokam of West Karbi Anglong, the schools remained open.

In Hojai, the bandh hit normal life. All commercial establishments remained closed and vehicles too did not ply on the roads. Protesters burned tyres to protest Dhola mayhem. Roads were also been blocked. Hojai Police detained 30 supporters in connection with the incident.

In Lumding, protesters shouted slogans demanding security of Bengalis. Demonstrators came out in large numbers near the Lumding station holding placards.

They tried to disrupt the movement of Brahmaputra Express and Guwahati-Silchar passenger train but they were removed and the trains resumed their journeys, sources said.