A farmer activist died after setting himself
ablaze on Monday to demand
land deeds for
people living on the hills in Guwahati, triggering protests and road and rail
blockades in various parts of the state.
Pranab
Boro, 45, poured petrol and set himself on fire before the state
secretariat during an agitation organised by Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS). "Doctors tried to save his life. Boro
died at 4:28 pm. He suffered 100 per cent burn injuries," Hospital
Superintendent Ramen Talukdar said in Guwahati.
The immolation, a first among Assam's
farmers, sparked widespread protests and road and rail blockades in various
parts of the state. On being contacted, Additional Director General of Police
(Law and Order) A P Rout said, "Road blockades are going on at some places
in Golaghat and Sivasagar and rail blockade in Jorhat.
We are taking action and clearing the
blockades now." The National Highway-37 was blocked at numerous places,
including at Koliapani in Jorhat district and Gaurisagar in Sivasagar district
with the police picking up 10 protesters. The police detained another 50 KMSS
activists from Jorhat, Golaghat and Guwahati.
Protests were also reported from Morigaon and
Sonitpur districts where railway tracks were blocked. The KMSS had organised
the protest in view to disrupt a government programme to distribute land
ownership certificates at the Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati. The function
for the land ownership distribution to nearly 100 landless people of the city,
however, took place as scheduled and was attended by Chief Minister Tarun
Gogoi. Speaking to reporters after the
function, Gogoi described the incident as unfortunate. "There is no
justification for it ... His demand is that the people living on forest land
and water bodies be given land deeds ... How can that be done?
They are encroachers and I cannot go against
the interest of environment and the people," he said. "What wrong have I done by distributing
deeds? KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi had only asked us to speed up the process of
distributing deeds," Gogoi said. Shocked
at the immolation, KMSS president Akhil Gogoi announced withdrawal of the
agitation. "We have withdrawn the agitation as 100-200 more people decided
to immolate themselves," he said.
Asked if the government would take action
against Akhil Gogoi, the chief minister said all steps would be taken to
maintain law and order in the state. On
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's rally on Tuesday in Guwahati, Tarun
Gogoi said, "There will be no impact on his meeting." On Sunday, Akhil Gogoi had said that the KMSS
would not allow Gandhi to hold the rally in protest against the state
government's refusal to give landownership till 2011 to people staying in the
city's hill areas.