With the toll rising to 32 after three days of violence in Assam, the Centre fears that the situation may spiral out of control with agitated Muslim youths attacking Bodos at various places in the state.
The Home Ministry has identified 15 Muslim-dominated areas and asked the state to maintain strict vigil as they can come under attack by the Bodos in the final days of the Lok Sabha elections.
Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde told The Indian Express, ?We have provided adequate central assistance and plan to deploy more paramilitary forces and Army.?
The Home Minister Sunday had issued a statement in which he said, ?The killings started only after the group started steadily losing its cadres either by surrender or eliminated during operations when they opened fire on Forces.? According to the MHA, NDFB(S) is behind the killings.
After the killings, the MHA also learnt that there was a reaction from the minority community in which some Muslims youths attacked three Bodo people on May 2 at Molitijhora village in Kokrajhar, while a vehicle carrying Bodos at Safakamar in Baksa district was targeted in which nine persons were wounded.
?We fear these incidents may lead to a build up in communal conflagration and the situation may spiral out if not brought under control,? said a senior Home Ministry official.
In its advisory to the state, the Home Ministry noted, ?There are several sensitive pockets inhabited by the Muslims in Musalpur, Gobardhana, Goreswar, Salbari, Simla and Tamulpur in Baksa district, while Gossaigaon, Serfanguri, Kajigaon, Bogribari, Dotma and Fakiragram in Kokrajhar district.?
?Besides, there are also several vulnerable areas in the other two districts of Bodoland Territorial Area District, namely Chirang and Udalguri, and the neighbouring district of Sonitpur, which has significant presence of militants from NDFB(S).?
In its report to the Home Ministry, the state administration conceded there had been retaliatory incidents which may provoke the other community.
The Assam administration also told the MHA that on May 3, some Muslims in Bhangarpar allegedly damaged the Bansbari forest range office alleging the involvement of some of its Bodo employees in the killings at N K Khagrabari village on May 2.