Trains to Mizoram: Hailakandi Police arrests more than 50 protesters; “Railway track has been cleared,” DC Dahal

Hailakandi police arrested more than 50 activists including Central Organisational Secretary of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti Jahir Uddin Laskar and Central Assistant Secretary Farid Uddin Laskar for culminating the four-day rail blockade against Mizo aggression along the Assam-Mizoram inter-state border.

For four days in a row, activists of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti and Chhatra Mukti Sangram Samiti of Hailakandi district were blocking freight trains at Lala Mohammedpur railway station as a mark of protest against the Mizo aggression. Like the last three days, on Tuesday more than 50 activists of Krishak Mukti led by their Central Organisational Secretary Jahir Uddin Laskar and Central Assistant Secretary Farid Uddin Laskar were observing a rail blockade. Freight trains did not run on the route for the whole day due to the agitation.

At around 5.30 pm, the workers of the Krishak Mukhti invited rural artists for protesting with songs as a symbolic gesture. But the situation suddenly took a turn when a large police force led by SIT A Lashkar of Lala police arrived at Mohammedpur railway station and insisted on lifting the blockade on instructions of the Chief Secretary of the state Jishnu Baruah.

Krishak Mukti and Chhatra Mukti activists declared that the agitation won’t be withdrawn under any circumstances.  However, in the end, Lala police forcibly arrested the protesters at around 6.45 pm and took them to the police station. In this way, the freight rail blockade got withdrawn after four consecutive days.

“We have been trying to persuade them to withdraw the strike from the very beginning. Because they did not clear the track, the SP had to deploy forces. The railway track has been cleared now,” said DC Hailakandi Megh Nidhi Dahal.

Members of KMSS and Chatra Mukti reasserted that their agitation will continue against Mizo atrocities along the inter-state border. They also took offense to Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga’s tweet on Monday who compared members of KMSS and Chatra Mukti with miscreants stating it as a disrespectful gesture towards Assam residents.

They said KMSS and Chatra Mukti are protesting against forceful land grabbing by Mizos while the Mizo miscreants have destroyed two schools of Assam. The intervention of the Mizoram CM for putting an end to such nefarious activities was sought by them.

The protesters were fuming at the arrests made by Assam Police. “Did the arrest the miscreants who bombed two schools. Or the miscreants who were roaming around with guns around Cachar SP and DC. Did they arrest the murderer of Intiyaz Ali? And lastly, did they manage to force Mizoram out of Assam? Our Police can only arrest us,” said an angry protester who was forced away from the track.