More than 54 houses allegedly set ablaze by Mizo miscreants; Hundreds seeking refuge in Hailakandi 

Tension in the Kachurtal area of Hailakandi district further escalates. More than 54 dwellings have been allegedly set ablaze by the Mizo miscreants. The locals said that Mizoram IR Battalion jawans were present with guns when the miscreants lit the fire on one after another house.

At night, hundreds of local residents, where the havoc was run, left their houses with bags and baggage and started seeking refuge. Visuals of women, children walking with goats and cattle and buffaloes reminds one of the warzones, said a correspondent reporting from the spot.

According to the representative of Killarbak Jhalnacherra GP, in Kachurtal Hailakandi, the incident was first noticed in the morning. He said, the cadres of MZP approached a construction site in the locality and asked the contractor Hirok Paul to stop it immediately. “I was present there and we explained to them that it was a work under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and they should not obstruct in this manner. However, they did not listen,” said the GP representative.

Later, that confrontation turned into a brawl with both parties attacking each other. However, it was settled, only for the time being. “The MZP cadres went back to Mizoram and announced that they were attacked by Muslims in Assam. Soon after that, they came in large numbers guarded by their armed men in uniform and started setting houses on fire. As many as 54 houses have been burnt to leave hundreds without shelter,” added the representative.

He also alleged that the Mizo miscreants opened fire at night, though no one got shot.

Since late-night, visuals of men and women leaving their houses in large numbers emerged. “It is true that a few houses have been burnt, but we don’t have the exact number yet. We don’t know who is behind this activity, what we have heard is that the miscreants ran towards Mizoram after burning the houses. The government has been briefed about the incident and senior officers are expected to visit and inspect the situation on the ground,” said DC Hailakandi, Megh Nidhi Dahal.

He confirmed that people are seeking refuge in different places within Hailakandi. “The ones who have lost their houses, also the ones who are scared, have left their houses is what we have heard. We are looking into the matter,” added the deputy commissioner of Hailakandi.

As per the latest available reports, several residents of the Kachurtal area are agitating in Hailakandi, demanding a probe against the inaction of the Police.