Tarun's touch

The rivalries never seem to end. The Nellie massacre in 1983, where over 1800 people were killed, represented the worst of this ethnic crisis in a state already reeling under the impact of a decade-long anti-foreigner agitation.
 

Assam, home to different tribes and communities, was on fire. But the fires have been doused considerably in the last decade or so with a stable Congress government in charge and a lot of credit goes to CM Tarun Gogoi for controlling highly inflamed passions.
 

Says Narendra Chauhan, president of the All Assam Bhojpuri Yuva Chhatra Parishad, "At the moment, the situation is normal, a sea change from the time when Lalu Prasad Yadav along with a number of MPs and MLAs from Bihar was compelled to come to Assam to assuage the feelings of the Hindi-speaking purabiyas. That fear has gone away as a number of victims affected by violence got compensation from the government.''
 

In October 2003, ULFA militants, by far the most dreaded of militant outfits, started indiscriminate attacks on Hindi speakers of upper Assam. This was ULFA's way of protesting against a drive by security forces and the warning was clear: if the security personnel continued their operations against militants, innocents would be slaughtered. 
 

Hundreds of purabiyas lost their lives while many thousands fled the state. When retaliatory attacks on Assamese started in trains in Bihar, the situation became truly precarious.
 

But precautionary measures by the Tarun Gogoi government contained the potentially divisive situation. Points out Shekhor Prasad, nominated councillor to Bodoland Territorial Council, "We never felt insecure. During the Assamese-Bihari clashes we were well protected by our leader Hagrama Mahiliray. In turn we opened community halls and the government sanctioned grants for Hindi-medium schools."
 

A lot of these clashes are politically motivated – and outsiders are brought in to stir trouble. Chairman of the Dima Halong Daugah, Dilip Nunisa, recalls the bloody feuds between Dimasas and Nagas in 2009. "Most of the times, communal clashes in Assam have taken place because of the motivation and instigation of outside forces. More than 60 people had lost their lives and about 500 homes were gutted,'' he says. Tarun Gogoi had got Christian missionaries, member of Hindu religious organisations and the Dimasa Citizen Manch together and virtually brokered the deal. 
 

One of the most troubled areas of Assam is Karbi Anglong, marked by frequent clashes between Karbis, Kukis, Adivasis and Dimasas. Says president of the Karbi Student Association, Bidya Teron, "People of our district are now living peacefully because the state government has taken steps to bridge communal clashes amongst different groups and communities. The CM is trying his level best to create a friendly atmosphere."
 

Among Gogoi's emissaries was Rockybul Hussain, Assam's forest and tourism minister, who personally visited the area several times. In order to create stability, friendly football matches were organised, in addition to cultural exchange programmes.
 

In 2011, the arrest of Ranjan Daimary, member of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, sparked off a fresh crisis. Daimary threatened that if security forces continued their operation, non-Bodos would be killed in retaliation. The threat was duly followed. Accordingly, 26 non-Bodos were killed in 24 hours. But because of the immediate measures adopted by Tarun Gogoi, peace was restored and continues that way in the Serfanguri area .
 

"I feel proud to be an Assamese. I write and speak Assamese. There are no communal feelings. There are clashes but the government does not discriminate,'' says Tilak Prasad, resident of Chapor area in Dhubri district. Good going for Tarun Gogoi, because unlike some other politicians, he is at least not igniting fires.