What began as a scramble for low-level railway jobs is fast turning into a political nightmare with Biharis coming under attack in Assam, heightening fears of a return of the ‘anti-outsider’ feeling this state had managed to shut out. A spate of attacks, mostly in Upper Assam, has so far left 29 Biharis dead — among them was a three-year-old, hacked to death — and 40 injured. Arsonists have razed some 500 hutments and a worried Chief Minister today directed districts across the state to seek the assistance of the Army wherever needed. Responding to an Assam SOS, the Centre today ordered six BSF companies to Tinsukia and Dibrugarh. In Delhi, Home Ministry officials said Assam had sought more Central forces but the elections in five states was making it very difficult for them to spare additional force. Tinsukia appeared to be the worst hit. Police opened fire and indefinite curfew had to be clamped. Three of a family, including a child, were hacked to death at Hahakargaon under Doomdooma police station of Tinsukia. Biharis in Assam — most are engaged in menial work — have been targeted after Assam-bound trains were attacked in Bihar over the scramble for railway jobs which fuelled tension. In Guwahati, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, clearly worried by the turn of events, said: ‘‘I have instructed district authorities to resort to shoot-at-sight if the situation warrants it. They have been told to take the assistance of the Army and stage flag-marches to control the situation.’’ Officials maintained the ULFA was behind the attacks: cadres gunned down five persons — three Biharis, two Bengalis — at Chagalia on the Assam-West Bengal border on Tuesday night and were also said to be behind the killing of six persons, all women and children, in Kheronipathar village in Dibrugarh district. In Tinsukia, which has the largest concentration of Biharis in the region, trouble erupted after police failed to prevent a mob of irate Biharis, wielding lathis and daos (machetes), from ransacking the office of the Tinsukia Development Authority. Seven staffers were assaulted. This invited an Assamese retaliation and police opened fired to scatter the two groups. Tension was also brewing in the oil town of Duliajan and the fertiliser town of Namrup where thatched huts of Bihari labour hands and shopkeepers were set ablaze on Tuesday evening. But not many in Guwahati are buying CM Gogoi’s explanation that the Centre’s failing the state at every stage. Assam CMs have always chosen to blame the Centre for everything that goes wrong, be it floods, drought, bad roads, telecom failure or unemployment. Even the attack on Biharis is not something new. Towards 2000-end, some 70 Biharis — most were small traders, vendors and cultivators — were gunned down by ULFA in separate incidents across the state. P K Mahanta, the then CM, ended up blaming the Centre. Gogoi today said ‘‘Assam is passing through a difficult phase’’ and blamed the Opposition for skipping an all-party meeting called to tackle the situation. AGP Brindaban Goswami joined the blame-game, saying the ‘‘Congress government in the state does not have any direction. Nor is it sincere about a consensus on this burning issue.’’ Maintaining that unemployment was at the root of violence, Gogoi criticised the Railways for not giving preference to ‘‘local candidates’’ during Grade D recruitment. But Northeast Frontier Railway general manager Vipan Nanda expressed helplessness, pointing to a 1999 Supreme Court ruling which said every Indian had ‘‘equal opportunity’’ to apply for all categories of jobs in the Railways. ‘‘Why can’t the Centre and Railways apprise the Supreme Court of the ground reality and the unrest over jobs at the lowest level?’’ Gogoi questioned, blaming the Centre for not placing facts ‘‘properly’’ before the Supreme Court. ‘‘We are writing to the Centre to seek the Supreme Court’s indulgence to amend the ruling,’’ he said. Gogoi also demanded another ‘‘special package’’ from New Delhi to tackle the unemployment problem in the state. Incidentally, no one’s blaming the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), the first to protest the arrival of a large number of Bihari candidates for the railway jobs. ‘‘We have not incited any ill-feeling against the Biharis. We have only protested peacefully, seeking preference for local candidates. We don’t have anything against Biharis with domicile in Assam,’’ maintained AASU advisor Sammujjal Bhattacharyya.
