Tribal girl stripped and beaten in ASSAM.

Jorhat (Assam), Nov 26: As visuals of a tribal woman being stripped and assaulted on the streets of Guwahati drew nationwide revulsion, Assam government today ordered a judicial inquiry into Saturday`s clashes between adivasis and residents there and announced Rs one lakh assistance for her.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters here that the inquiry would go into the circumstances leading to the clash between tribals and local residents and all other related matters and the judge would submit its report within two to three months.

Assam Planning and Development Minister and former Assembly Speaker Prithvi Majhi, himself a tribal, described it as “very barbaric” the assault of tribals and the stripping of the woman.

Tribal students and tea garden workers, demanding Scheduled Tribe status, had gone on the rampage in Guwahati on Saturday attacking shops and other business establishments triggering a clash with local residents. The violence left one dead and over 230 injured.

Hundreds of tribals were wounded in the attack

Tribal leaders from Jharkhand cutting across political parties condemned the assault on adivasis in Guwahati and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Sibu Soren demanded ST status for them in Assam.

Meeting in hospitals the Adivasi victims of Saturday`s clash in Guwahati, Soren told reporters “the Adivasis work to feed the nation….The state government has to push their demand so that the Centre accepts it”.

Jharkhand`s Congress unit asked Chief Minister Madhu Koda to call upon his Assam counterpart to take effective steps and prevent a repeat of Saturday`s incidents.

CPI(M) accused the Assam police and administration of non-seriousness during the rally that led to the violence.

The Janata Dal(U) also extended moral support to the bandh, said its spokesman Pramod Mishra.

Several other political parties and organisations also deplored the Guwahati incident.

Meanwhile, police arrested three people allegedly responsible for outraging the modesty of an Adivasi woman during the clash.

The three arrested were Prasenjit Chakravarty, Sandip Chakdar and Ratul Barman.

Bureau Report