Protestors’ face off with local youth in Tinsukia

Guwahati, November 2, 2018:

Protestors taking part in the 12-hour Tinsukia district bandh on Friday had a virtual face off with a group of local youth.

The incident took place when the protestors, mostly Bengalis, were blocking a busy road in the heart of the commercial town in protest against the killing of five people by unidentified gunmen at Saikhowa on Thursday evening. The group of the local youth, who came riding two-wheelers, was annoyed that the protestors had blocked the road.

Videos of the entire incident, which have gone viral on the social media, showed an altercation that followed. The video showed a local youth walking up to the protestors and saying: “We are also deeply hurt over the killing of the five people in Saikhowa. A bandh has been called and the shopkeepers have downed their shutters in response to the bandh call. However, the protestors should clear the roads for the movement of vehicles”.

His comments led to a commotion during which slogans were shouted by both sides. During the chaos, a protestor spoke against Assamese hegemony. To this, a local youth said there would be Assamese hegemony in Assam. Later, the police intervened and dispersed the local youth.

After they had left, a protestor was heard in the video telling the policemen present there: “We are staging a peaceful protest. What made them (local youth) to come and create a problem here?”