Greater than 40 years after the Nellie incident in Assam’s Morigaon district witnessed considered one of unbiased India’s worst acts of mass violence amid Assam’s agitation in opposition to immigrants from Bangladesh, the Bharatiya Janata Occasion authorities within the state has introduced that it’ll submit the report of a committee arrange on the time to probe the bloodbath.
The shock announcement by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma final week got here simply months earlier than the state’s meeting elections scheduled for March-April 2026. The announcement additionally comes amid widespread unrest within the state following the sudden demise of famous person singer Zuveen Garg in Singapore final month. As Shyamkanu Mahanta, the organizer of the Singapore Cultural Pageant the place Garg was scheduled to carry out, is seen as near the state authorities, Sarma’s place has develop into harder as requires “justice” for Garg transcend group and sophistication boundaries.
What was the Nellie Bloodbath?
On February 18, 1983, a collection of murders occurred over a number of hours in Nelli, a cluster of villages in Morigaon, about 60 km from Guwahati, killing hundreds of individuals, largely Bengali-speaking Muslims. The official demise toll was 1,800, however the unofficial demise toll was practically double that at 3,000.
The killings occurred throughout state elections in the course of the president’s rule, and no arrests had been made, on the peak of the Assam agitation that started in 1979 and known as for the crackdown and deportation of unlawful immigrants from Bangladesh. The principle leaders of the agitation, All Assam College students Union (AASU) and All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP), introduced a boycott of the elections.
In July 1983, the Congress authorities led by Hiteshwar Saikia, which got here to energy, constituted the Assam Disturbance Inquiry Fee headed by Tribhuvan Prasad Tewary, an IAS officer. Its phrases of reference had been to “examine the circumstances that led to the disturbances in Assam between January and April 1983”. “To look at the measures taken by the related authorities to anticipate, stop, and take care of these disturbances, to evaluate their adequacy, and to point whether or not there have been any deficiencies or failures on the a part of the authorities or people.” And to “recommend measures to forestall the recurrence of such incidents sooner or later and to make such different suggestions because the Committee considers match to make.”
The fee reportedly submitted its report in Might 1984, however the short-lived Saikia authorities, which was eliminated the next yr, by no means submitted its report.
In 1985, recent elections had been held within the state after the Assam Accord was signed between Assam agitation leaders and the Rajiv Gandhi authorities on the Centre. The leaders who led the Assam agitation and launched the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) got here to energy.
What did the report reveal?
Items have been written about it by journalists and writers over time. A senior journalist primarily based in Assam, who was protecting the state meeting on the time, stated on situation of anonymity that copies of the report had been made obtainable to reporters and MPs within the late Nineteen Eighties in the course of the Prafulla Mahanta-led AGP authorities. “My editor determined I ought to run a narrative concerning the report as a result of it was vital of the agitators. Others in all probability did the identical, so it by no means received revealed.”
Niramani Sen Deka, who served as a minister within the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress authorities from 2011 to 2015, quoted a number of pages of the report’s abstract in his e book ‘Axomor Probojon Shomosha Al-Bidekshi Bohiskar Andolan’ (Assam’s Immigration Drawback and Deportation Agitation). Deka, who was later expelled from Congress for “anti-party actions”, instructed The Indian Specific that he had accessed the abstract of the report from the state archives.
The e book cited the abstract as saying that the choice to carry parliamentary elections amid ongoing unrest “can’t be blamed for the outbreak of violence in 1983.” “Proof earlier than the committee makes clear that points akin to foreigners and language have been disturbing to individuals for many years, and have led to violent acts on a number of events.”
The abstract cited by Deka stated different elements of the report element violent incidents that occurred in 1950, 1954, 1960, 1958, 1972, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982. The abstract report cited in his e book additionally states that “AASU and AAGSP are primarily accountable for the incitement.” And there’s overwhelming proof that the result will stop it from occurring. Elections, arson, riots, destruction of public property akin to buildings, roads, bridges, sabotage of railroad tracks, intimidation, picketing, and “banding” had been organized on a pre-planned scale. The whole scenario received out of their management and the violence resulted in big lack of life and property. ”
In 2012, The Indian Specific reported that the Tewari Fee had additionally criticized authorities companies, saying that they had not taken the mandatory steps to forestall the Nellie bloodbath regardless of clear info pointing to a potential Nellie bloodbath and had been gradual to react even after getting information of the killing. Due to this, the article states, the bloodbath might final for eight hours.
What’s the significance of the report now?
In an announcement final week, Prime Minister Sarma stated the Assam Cupboard would submit the Tewari Committee’s report back to Parliament on November 25, terming it a “courageous step”. He stated the earlier authorities had not submitted the report claiming that it didn’t have Tewary’s signature, however the authorities had confirmed the authenticity of the report by way of forensic examination.
Nonetheless, it’s unclear how Sarma’s authorities intends to learn politically from the report. The AGP, whose leaders had been central to its improvement again then, is now an ally of the BJP.
Pointing to the timing of Sarma’s announcement, a senior Congress chief stated, “On the time (when the Bengali-speaking Muslims had been killed), the Congress was in energy on the Heart, so it looks as if a transfer to cease Muslim votes from concentrating within the Congress for now.”
Journalists who’ve seen the abstract of the report have additionally seen related designs.
