Assam Assault Sparks Row, Marwaris Apologise

Guwahati: The ongoing major protest against non-Assamese businessmen in Upper Assam’s Sivasagar that started over alleged assault of 1 17-year old girl, ended with representatives of Marwari community kneeling to apologise in the presence of a state cabinet minister on Tuesday.

The girl was allegedly assaulted on August 11. Police have arrested the two people under the provision of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

As the accused were identified as local businessmen from Marwari community, it triggered a massive protest against non-Assamese residents with militant group outlawed Ulfa-I also joining the issue.

It resulted in mass protest by at least 30-regional groups forcing closure of the entire business and shops of non-Assamese residents of Sivasagar.

As the protest was spreading in Upper Assam district, state cabinet minister Ranoj Pegu, who is also the ‘Guardian Minister’ of Sivasagar district, intervened and presided over a meeting in Sivasagar on Tuesday. It was attended by representatives of regional civil society groups as well as Marwari groups too.

At the meeting, representatives from Marwari groups, both men and women, knelt in the presence of Mr Pegu, representatives of the district administrations, the protesting organisations and the media to issue a “public apology” and offered paan-tamul (betel leaves and betel nuts), as had been demanded by the protesters.

The members of the regional civil society groups have been demanding that a legislation be introduced to disallow the sale of land to “non-indigenous” people in the district; that all businesses owned by “non-Assamese” have the names of their establishments written in the Assamese script in “large letters” on their hoardings; and that “non-Assamese” businesses ensure that 90 percent of their employees are “indigenous” youths.

The representative of the businessmen Vinod Aggarwal who attended and “apologised” at the meeting, said that they accepted the terms of the groups. He also said that they have agreed to provide Rs 2 lakh to the girl’s family.

The incident that created tension and triggered bitterness between the two communities was pro-actively joined by Ulfa-I that issued threats to outsiders.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that as it was related to assault of a girl, the incident had hurt the sentiments of the local people but now it is amicably resolved and wisely handled.