The people of the Kakapothaar area of District Tinsukia are spending their time in deep fear due to the fact that Indian soldiers have been going inside the villages, searching houses without any reason and arresting people without any formal charges. The reports of villagers being tortured by the military have been published many times in newspapers. Although the civil administration of the district has been made aware of the harrassment, the number of intimidating incidents have not gone down.
The army operation started on the day of Bohag Bihu this year. The people are completely distraught and fed up and recently they came out in large numbers to lodge their protest with the civil administration.
On the 30th of July, thousands of people of the Kakapothaar region, came out with posters and festoons, to protest the arrest by the military and a contigent of women police, of a nurse named Khirodaa Moraan of village Uawan, and the arrest of Horen Moraan, the son of Umesh Moran of village Ha~hokhaati. At the time of arresting these two individuals, the Indian soldiers beat many others in the neighborhoods.
So, on July 30th, the public came out in large numbers and sat on Highway 52 in protest. At night, a few hundred people were camped outside the Kakapothaar police station. They had lighted their camp with lamps and "torches" (jur).
At this point, a group of soldiers jumped on the people who were camped out and beaten savagely without any discrimination. Even an 80 year old woman has been hospitalized after being hit with barrel of a gun.
On the 2nd of August, the army and the police had organized a meeting in the village of Tongola and invited the people to attend. Of those who came to attend, Bubu Barua (23), August Barua (22), Ranjit Saikia (22), Jayanta Dohutiya (25), Bubu Seleng (20), Nirmal Kosari (30), Binod Urang (21) were questioned about the ULFA and beaten during interrogation.
On the 7th of August, the forces arrested Tumodhar Moran (32) and Ranjan Moran (14) of village Sunjaan at dawn. Their whereabouts are not known at the time of writing this report.