Adivasis in West Bengal protest against Assam massacre

Jhargram, West Bengal: An apex national body of the adivasis on Thursday put up road blockade in West Midnapore district in protest against the massacre of 65 adivasis in Assam by the militants of the anti-talks NDFB(S) on Wednesday.

The Bharat Jakat Majhi Pargana Mahal blockaded a key highway at Silda under Binpur police station for about five hours, throwing traffic out of gear.

Bharat Jakat Majhi Pargana Mahal chief Nityanand Hembram demanded that the victims of attack by NDFB(S) insurgents be given a compensation of Rs 25 lakh. Other demands of the organisation included steps by the government to stop attacks on adivasis, Hembram said.

He claimed that he has already wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and West Bengal Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra about the demands.

Adivasis would demonstrate in each block of West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand in protest against the massacre in Assam on December 31, Hembram said.

Over 70 adivasi people were massacred by NDFB(S) insurgents in Kokrajhar, Sonitpur and Chirang districts of Assam on Wednesday.