Chirang:
In Chirang's Raidangbari village in Assam, shock over the killing of two young boys in a joint army and Assam police operation on December 11 has given way to anger.
On the night of December 11, three young boys - all related - were shot at Raidangbari, close to the Indo-Bhutan border by Assam Police and Indian Army personnel on a search operation.
Three jawans of Shashastra Seema Bal were kidnapped a few days ago, reportedly by a faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, a militant group active in the area.
Two boys died in the encounter, one is critical.
Locals say those killed were innocent students of class 6 and class 10 in a school near the village, and that they were shot and killed in cold blood as they slept together on a haystack a little away from their homes.
Activists have filed a complaint against the local cops who led the encounter.
The Assam government has ordered a departmental inquiry and has said it isn't averse to a judicial probe. But this is hardly any consolation for the family of Pranjit Narzary, a class 6 student as per local school records, one of the two killed in the encounter.
Pranjit's parents are daily wage labourers who work in the area. His grandfather Ananda told NDTV, "I need justice. My grandchild was killed without any reason. He was studying till 10 pm in the night for exam. Suddenly they came and killed while they were sleeping. It is a total lie, they are not militants. How can such a small boy be a militant?"
The Indian Army hasn't reacted to the allegations, but the Assam Police has rubbished allegations of the encounter being fake claiming instead that those killed were trained cadres of the militant group NDFB, irrespective of their age. They also said that sophisticated weapons like AK 47 rifles were recovered from the boys.
Police sources say the army and cops carrying out the search operation were fired upon following which they retaliated. The police are also asking why the third boy was not shot dead by them if this was indeed a fake encounter
Those leading the voices against the administration say the government's inquiry holds no weight for them. Social activist Raju Narzary says, "Even earlier judicial inquiries have happened but they have not been satisfactory. I think they need to find out the truth soon."
Local activists say if the government does not act soon, they will approach the Guwahati High Court. The Assam police on the other hand say they have nothing to hide and are open to any inquiry.