Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that he has issued shoot-at-sight orders to law enforcement officials after a communal group became active in the state’s Dhubri area. He alleged that the communal group intends to cause damage to Hindu temples.

This move came after his visit to Dhubri following the incident where cow meat was thrown at the Human Mandir on Eid.

During his visit, he ordered officials to follow “zero tolerance” against elements who desecrated temples, Naamghars and sacred places. He asserted that people behind the incident will not be spared.

“I visited Dhubri and directed law enforcement officers to follow ZERO tolerance against elements who desecrate our temples, Naamghars and sacred spaces. The incident of throwing beef at the town’s Hanuman Mandir should have NEVER happened, and those involved WON’T BE SPARED,” Sarma wrote in a post on X.

In another post, the chief minister said that, if needed, he would guard the Hanuman Baba temple all night long.

“This time on Eid, some anti-social elements committed a disgusting and condemnable crime by throwing cow meat in the Hanuman temple of Dhubri! If required on the coming Eid, I myself will guard Hanuman Baba’s temple all night long,” the post read.

Sarma added that an investigation is underway, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

“The general public, Hindu or Muslim, is innocent,” he said, adding,” some disruptive elements are poisoning the atmosphere,” stating the government will not tolerate this.”

“Things were different in the past, not anymore,” he said, emphasising, “Mark my words: If any disruptive elements are found tonight, they will be shot on sight.”

Earlier on Monday, he alleged that “some people are trying to weaponise cattle” by repeatedly placing cattle meat in certain areas to force Hindu residents to leave,

The situation in Dhubri, Assam, has escalated due to the alleged discovery of meat near a temple, leading to communal tensions.

On Sunday, alleged cow meat was discovered near the Hanuman temple at Balurchar area of Dhubri town, while on Monday, the situation deteriorated further, with riot-like scenes reported in several areas as alleged cow skin and meat were discovered at Chatianatala and Baluchar area again.

Mob attacks on roadside vendors and e-rickshaw drivers at two places, and protests were held on Monday.

Dhubri District Commissioner Dibakar Nath on Monday invoked Section 163(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, and issued prohibitory orders with immediate effect, citing potential threats to peace and public tranquillity and aiming to prevent any escalation of violence following the alleged recovery of cow meat at multiple locations.

The situation was brought under control by Tuesday and the prohibitory orders were withdrawn.

In Assam, the overall flood situation improves slightly. Over 5 lakh 60 thousand people are still reeling under the deluge in 16 districts.

There is no report of loss of any human life due to the flood this morning. About 1400 villages were affected by floods, and over 1900 hectares of crop areas have been damaged across the state.

The State Government has engaged SDRF teams for evacuation at Sribhumi District since early morning. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, over 41 thousand people are in the 175 relief camps. Road, railways and ferry services have been disrupted at various places across the State.

Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department has informed that moderate rain is very likely to occur at most places over the State.

The Assamese language has been made mandatory for all official work in Assam, according to a notification issued in this regard on Monday. It will come into effect from Tuesday, the first day of the Assamese New Year.

“Beginning this Bohag (first month of Assamese calendar), Assamese will be the compulsory official language for all government notifications, order, Acts, etc across Assam.

In the districts of Barak Valley and BTR (Bodoland Territorial Region), Bengali and Bodo languages will be used respectively,” chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on X.

The notification in this regard was issued by the political department of the state on the direction of Governor Laxmi Prasad Acharya. The Assam cabinet had decided earlier this month that all government notifications, orders will be in both Assamese and English. While the same was in practice earlier, it was not mandatory.

“The Assamese language shall be used compulsorily in all official works. Issuance of all government notifications, office memoranda, Acts, rules, regulations, scheme guidelines, transfer and posting orders shall be both in English and Assamese,” the notification said.

It mentioned that in the Bengali-dominated Barak Valley, which consists of three districts, Bengali shall be used in addition to English and in BTR, which comprises four districts, Bodo language will be used with English for all official purposes.

All notifications, orders, Acts, rules and regulations and guidelines issued by the central government shall be published by translating into Assamese language (Bodo and Bengali, wherever applicable) within 30 days of receipt by the department concerned.

Legacy documents comprising Acts, rules and regulations and notifications will be translated to Assamese and Bodo and Bengali (wherever applicable) over the next two years, the notification mentioned.

“In the event of any ambiguity, discrepancy, requirement of legal interpretation, the English version of such laws, notifications, rules, regulations, ordinance shall prevail,” it said while adding that English will continue to be used for communications with Government of India, central government offices and other state governments establishments.

In Assam, polling for the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council concluded peacefully with 68.58 percent voter turnout. The polling was held in 33 out of 36 council constituencies under the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council spread across Kamrup and Goalpara districts. Notably, three candidates have already won unopposed- two from Kamrup district and one from Goalpara. The counting of votes will take place on Friday. 

Election officials ensured that polling stations operated without disruptions. Security personnel remained stationed at sensitive locations to prevent any untoward incidents. Authorities reported no violence or disturbances, reaffirming the people’s commitment to democratic processes. The peaceful atmosphere encouraged voters to exercise their franchise without hesitation.

Candidates from multiple political parties contested the elections, seeking representation in the autonomous council. The competition remained intense, with local political leaders urging voters to support their candidates. Campaigns leading up to the elections focused on key issues, including infrastructure development, tribal rights, and economic growth.

Polling stations witnessed long queues early in the morning as voters arrived to cast their votes. Women and elderly citizens participated actively, reflecting the community’s engagement in local governance. Election commission officials expressed satisfaction over the voter turnout, calling it a sign of growing political awareness among the people.

The vote-counting process is scheduled to begin soon, with results expected within the next few days. Political parties have started making early predictions, hoping for a favorable outcome. Candidates have remained confident about their chances, while supporters eagerly await the final announcement.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has strongly condemned the statement made by Bangladesh’s interim government Chief Advisor, Muhammad Yunus, referring to the Seven Sister states of Northeast India as landlocked and positioning Bangladesh as their guardian of ocean access. He termed the remark as offensive and unacceptable.

The Chief Minister emphasized the need to develop a more robust railway and road network both underneath and around the Chicken’s Neck corridor.

He also highlighted the importance of exploring alternative road routes connecting the Northeast to mainland India, effectively bypassing the Chicken’s Neck.

The Assam Government has decided not to extend the Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (Act No. 28 of 1958) beyond 31st March 2025 in Dibrugarh district.

In a notification today, Assam Government said that in light of the improvements of law and order situation, the “Disturbed Area” status under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, need not be extended in Dibrugarh district.

However, the Government of Assam recommended that the “Disturbed Area” status under AFSPA be continued for an additional six months in the three districts of Tinsukia, Charaideo and Sivasagar.

According to an order issued by Home and Political Department Secretary Debaprasad Misra on Sunday, the decision follows a review of the security situation and reports from various agencies. The four districts had been under AFSPA since October 8, 2023, after the law was lifted from the rest of the state.

The order stated that Assam’s overall security situation has improved due to sustained counter-insurgency operations by security forces. However, the presence of ULFA (I), the only active militant group in the state, remains a concern, with sporadic incidents of improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and kidnappings for ransom.

In Assam, a session of the legislative assembly will be held outside Guwahati for the first time, with Kokrajhar hosting the inaugural sitting of the Budget session tomorrow. 

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that it symbolises the return of peace in the state and integration of all people. He said, the Governor’s speech, customarily delivered on the first day of the Budget session, will be a major highlight of the sitting. 

The remaining of the Budget session will be held at the permanent assembly building in Guwahati. The session will continue till 25th March.

BTC Chief Executive Member (CEM), Pramod Boro, shared the announcement on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, highlighting the significance of this event for BTR.

Ahead of the session, Boro attended a preparatory meeting alongside senior officials from both the Assam Legislative Assembly and the BTC Legislative Assembly. The meeting was graced by the Hon’ble Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly, Shri Biswajit Daimary, and the Hon’ble Speaker of the BTC Legislative Assembly, Shri Katiram Baro.

Magh Bihu, the vibrant harvest festival, also known as Bhogali Bihu and Maghor Domahi is being celebrated in Assam.

It is the first festival of the year that brings people of various communities together to enjoy the winter crops and pray for prosperity for the rest of the year.

Today is Uruka and as part of the Bihu celebration, people building makeshift cottages called ‘Bhelaghar’ using hay from the harvest fields. People are also constructing Meiji for bonfires. They will prepare food inside these huts, and a community feast to be held on this Uruka night. The Meji will be burned early tomorrow morning and the ashes to be spread on the farmland to make the soil more fertile.

During the main Bihu, people take a bath early in the morning and play traditional Assamese games like Tekeli Bonga and buffalo fighting. There are also cock fights and egg fights. People eat and share the traditional Assamese foods and sweets on this occasion.

Magh Bihu holds agricultural and social significance as it is time to celebrate new yield and renew ties of friendship and brotherhood with communities.

In urban areas, people are purchasing symbolic readymade Mejis for bonfires due lack of open spaces and non non-availability of hay.

It is called Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri in Punjab, and Makar Sankranti in Northern parts of India.

January 11, 2025 8:22 PM.

In Assam, the search and rescue operation continues to rescue five more miners trapped inside the flooded coal mine at Umrangso in the Dima Hasao district, bordering Meghalaya.

The Navy, Army, NDRF, SDRF, ONGC, Coal India, and district administration are working jointly to trace and rescue the remaining rat-hole coal miners. Today, the rescue team retrieved three bodies from the quarry after almost 150 hours.

The coal miners were trapped early on Monday morning inside the coal quarry after a sudden gush of water flooded the site. The deceased have been identified as Ganga Bahadur Shrestha, Lijen Magar, Khusi Mohan, and Sarat Goyari. Ganga Bahadur Shrestha is a Nepali citizen.

Two persons have been arrested so far in connection with the tragedy: one, Punush Nunisa, the block holder of the mine, and Hanan Laskar, who was responsible for overseeing worker engagement and payments.