Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Year : 2, Issue: 38
International Desk: In a footage shared by Indian journalist Rana Ayyub on X, an anguished villager voiced the community’s despair, saying, ‘We are not Bangladeshis, we are Indians. We will live here. We will die here’
A police firing during an eviction drive in Assam’s Kochutoli village on Thursday left two young men, Haidar Ali (18) and Jubahir Ali (22), dead, igniting fear and outrage within the local Bengali-speaking Muslim community.
The incident, which occurred on the outskirts of Guwahati, sparked widespread unrest as the community now grapples with fear of further violence and displacement.
In a footage shared by Indian journalist Rana Ayyub on X (formerly Twitter), an anguished villager voiced the community’s despair, saying, “We are not Bangladeshis, we are Indians. We will live here. We will die here.”
Another video captures Haidar Ali’s mother, overwhelmed with grief, crying out in confusion and sorrow.
The young men succumbed to their injuries after being shot during the police’s eviction operation, which left at least 35 others injured.
The eviction, aimed at clearing land, quickly escalated into violence.
As tensions remain high, many villagers are now too afraid to leave their homes, fearing further police action.
Despite calls for accountability, families of the victims have expressed frustration over the police’s alleged lack of seriousness in addressing their complaints.
