Status Update
By Smita Dutta
The Balapara Massacre by Bodo Militants, 1 May 2014
"It was at a little past 18:00 hours last evening that it was reported to me that 7 Bodo men/youth carrying rucksacks had come out of Hakma Forest Village bordering the Guma Reserved Forest in Gossaigaon Subdivision of Kokrajhar District of Assam. They were reportedly walking towards north than east. I immediately escalated the information for necessary action. By the time they could be located again, they had walked towards Padmapikhuri village and after a while, crossed it and continued towards Bashbari and Barkhangbil villages, both largely Bodo inhabited. It is believed they had proceeded towards the settlement called Langdanpara.
Even though the police and the security forces arrived, rather than sealing off the area quietly, they drove into the village in 5 Boleros, as if any militants would wait for them there. No search was carried out in the villages these 7 Bodo men were seen headed to. Nor were any Police Out Posts towards the east perhaps alerted to look out for such movements.
Barely 5 hours later, at about midnight, in the village Balapara Part 1 just about 10 Km to the east of where the suspected militants were last seen, 7 Muslim villagers belonging to 3 families were gunned down in cold blood, those killed being all women and children, except one.
This attack has come just after a similar attack in another BTAD district of Baksa where 3 Muslim villagers were gunned down."
- Nilim Dutta
Those killed in the Balapara Massacre last night are:
Bacchu Sheikh (65)
Moharbhan Bibi (50)
Shonabhan Bibi (22)
Jalima Bibi (25)
Sayatun Bibi (45)
Shohana Khatun (3)
Farida Begum (4)
"It was at a little past 18:00 hours last evening that it was reported to me that 7 Bodo men/youth carrying rucksacks had come out of Hakma Forest Village bordering the Guma Reserved Forest in Gossaigaon Subdivision of Kokrajhar District of Assam. They were reportedly walking towards north than east. I immediately escalated the information for necessary action. By the time they could be located again, they had walked towards Padmapikhuri village and after a while, crossed it and continued towards Bashbari and Barkhangbil villages, both largely Bodo inhabited. It is believed they had proceeded towards the settlement called Langdanpara.
Even though the police and the security forces arrived, rather than sealing off the area quietly, they drove into the village in 5 Boleros, as if any militants would wait for them there. No search was carried out in the villages these 7 Bodo men were seen headed to. Nor were any Police Out Posts towards the east perhaps alerted to look out for such movements.
Barely 5 hours later, at about midnight, in the village Balapara Part 1 just about 10 Km to the east of where the suspected militants were last seen, 7 Muslim villagers belonging to 3 families were gunned down in cold blood, those killed being all women and children, except one.
This attack has come just after a similar attack in another BTAD district of Baksa where 3 Muslim villagers were gunned down."
- Nilim Dutta
Those killed in the Balapara Massacre last night are:
Bacchu Sheikh (65)
Moharbhan Bibi (50)
Shonabhan Bibi (22)
Jalima Bibi (25)
Sayatun Bibi (45)
Shohana Khatun (3)
Farida Begum (4)
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