Fresh tension between Assam and Mizoram: School in Hailakandi allegedly bombed by Mizo Miscreants

Last night the local residents of Kachurtal area in Hailakandi heard the loud sound of two bombs exploding one after another. Today morning, the Police officials visited the area that shares interstate border with Mizoram.

After inspection, the Police confirmed there were two blasts. In his statement, SP Hailakandi Police said, “Last night at about 1.30 am two bomb blasts occurred at the premises of  Muliwala LP School located near Assam- Mizoram border about 12 KM away from Ramnathpur PS.”

As per government record, Muliwala LP Schol was established in 2003 and it is managed by the Department of Education, Government of Assam. It is located under the Katlicherra block of Hailakandi district in Assam. The school consists of Grades from 1 to 5. The school is Co-educational and it has an attached pre-primary section. Bengali is the medium of instruction in this school.

The school has a Government building. It has got 1 classroom for instructional purposes. It has 2 other rooms for non-teaching activities. The school has a separate room for Headmaster/Teacher.

The SP – Hailakandi added in his statement that as a result of the twin blasts “Drinking Water reservoir and Boy’s Toilet of the School had been badly damaged which were under construction.”

He added, “On receipt of the information, the OC, Ramnathpur PS with staff followed by the Addl SP( HQ), Hailakandi rushed to the spot and started an investigation.”

DC Hailakandi Megh Nidhi Dahal and SP P Nath have also visited the blast site.

Speaking with Barak Bulletin, DIG Southern Range- Assam, Dilip Kumar Dey said that the same school was once bombed by mizo-miscreants in 2013. “Development work is going on in the school and it is clear that the miscreants didn’t approve of it due to which they bombed the school,” said Dey.

He added, “The Police is investigating the matter and we have informed all the concerned authorities about the blasts. We will try to nab the culprits behind these twin blasts as soon as possible.”

The DIG is of the view that the criminal activity was carried out by the miscreants to disturb peace and harmony in the locality.

Last year, two schools were bombed in Lailapur area in Cachar’s Dholai Legislative Assembly constituency. The tension in the inter-state borders prevailed for months. Dwellings and shops were burnt to ashes allegedly by the Mizo miscreants who with the help of their armed forces had encroached more than three kilometres inside Assam.

It remains to be seen how the state’s bureaucracy handles the situation in Hailakandi, especially with assembly elections knocking at the door.