Assamese boys lynched in own land, it’s nothing but inhumanity

It is nothing short of barbarism when two youths of Assam namely Abhijeet Nath and Nilotpal Das were mistaken for child-abductors and were killed by the brutal lynch mob in the village Panjari Kacharigaon under Dokmoka outpost in Karbi Anglong district.

The incident was triggered due to messages that were circulating on social media about child traffickers being active in nearby areas.

Nilotpal Das (29), a sound engineer based in Mumbai, and Abhijeet Nath (30), a businessman in Guwahati, were on their way back to Guwahati from Kangthilangso waterfalls when they were stopped by an agitating mob in Panjari Kachari village. The duo was dragged out from the vehicle they were travelling in and thrashed to death.

A video doing rounds over the social media depicts how Das pleaded for his life, “I am an Assamese, Don't kill me”. Even after repeatedly beseeching, no heed was paid to the cries.

The incident started approximately around 6.30 pm on June 8 at Panjari Kachari Gaon and continued till 8 pm, but surprisingly, the police was unaware of the entire situation considering the Outpost is just 18-kms away from the village. It is reported that the police reached the spot around 7.40 pm.

The District Commissioner of Karbi Anglong stated that it was not right on the part of the villagers to take the law into their hands. However, he also stated that the youths should have informed the administration prior to treading the remote land.

ADGP Mukesh Agarwal states, “We have arrested 15 people who had lynched the two men and one rumour monger. We have also started to arrest people who spread the news on social media."

Speaking to Inside NE, Luring Jyoti Gogoi, General Secretary of AASU, said, “The administration, the police force has failed to protect the security of the people, it is a sheer failure of the Home department of the state. Such an incident is a taint to the entire human civilisation.”

Rights activist Akashitora said, “We are talking a lot about the Conclave. There are many policies being spoken about but unless and until a native is safe in his own land, how can you think of safeguarding an outsider.”

The situation across the state is tense with the public demanding justice for the two young men at the earliest, with demands for a speedy trial of the culprits. There are those who are trying to communalise the incident too.

Such a savage act of crime has hit the nerves of the people and have raised apprehensions among the people of the state. The administration must ensure justice is done to the innocent souls.