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| India to Deploy 5,000 Troops to Assam After String of Attacks | India to Deploy 5,000 Troops to Assam After String of Attacks |
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| NEW DELHI — The police in northeast India fired on a mob of demonstrators attacking their station on Wednesday, as reverberations from a series of separatist attacks spread through the region. | NEW DELHI — The police in northeast India fired on a mob of demonstrators attacking their station on Wednesday, as reverberations from a series of separatist attacks spread through the region. |
| The authorities said that 5,000 additional paramilitary troops would be deployed to the northeast state of Assam to keep the violence from spreading. | The authorities said that 5,000 additional paramilitary troops would be deployed to the northeast state of Assam to keep the violence from spreading. |
| About 70 people were killed on Tuesday when militants from the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, which seeks an independent state in Assam for members of the Bodo ethnic group, carried out a series of coordinated attacks on remote tribal villages, firing on residents, police officials in the Sonitpur and Kokrajhar districts said. | About 70 people were killed on Tuesday when militants from the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, which seeks an independent state in Assam for members of the Bodo ethnic group, carried out a series of coordinated attacks on remote tribal villages, firing on residents, police officials in the Sonitpur and Kokrajhar districts said. |
| It was not clear precisely who attacked the police station in the town of Gogoi on Wednesday or why, but the bodies of victims are often stored in police headquarters while they await post-mortems. | |
| Subhrajyoti Hazarika, a deputy inspector general of the police in the region, said that three people had been killed by police fire on Wednesday as officers tried to “control the mob.” | Subhrajyoti Hazarika, a deputy inspector general of the police in the region, said that three people had been killed by police fire on Wednesday as officers tried to “control the mob.” |
| Communal violence in India is often simplified as being the result of opposition between Hindus and Muslims. But one of the country’s most virulent fights is unfolding in the isolated northeast, where Muslims, tribal populations and members of the Bodo ethnic group have been jostling for land and power. Two years ago, during a flare-up of violence, an estimated 300,000 people fled their homes for refugee camps. | Communal violence in India is often simplified as being the result of opposition between Hindus and Muslims. But one of the country’s most virulent fights is unfolding in the isolated northeast, where Muslims, tribal populations and members of the Bodo ethnic group have been jostling for land and power. Two years ago, during a flare-up of violence, an estimated 300,000 people fled their homes for refugee camps. |
| Tarun Gogoi, the chief minister of Assam, which has a population of about 31 million, said on Wednesday that there was a risk that a “fear psychosis” would spread after the attacks on villagers this week. | |
| “It is very difficult to give a reason why these people were attacked,” he said. “These are innocent people. Women and children. They are not fighting with them, they are not opposing them. What is this? Heroism?” | “It is very difficult to give a reason why these people were attacked,” he said. “These are innocent people. Women and children. They are not fighting with them, they are not opposing them. What is this? Heroism?” |
| The attacks on Tuesday may have been staged in response to recent government raids on Bodo strongholds that resulted in the deaths of 42 fighters and the arrests of 175, according to L.R. Bishnoi, the police chief of the town of Kokrajhar. Mr. Bishnoi said that groups of gunmen had opened fire on Tuesday in three different locations, killing 10 women, 11 men and four children. | The attacks on Tuesday may have been staged in response to recent government raids on Bodo strongholds that resulted in the deaths of 42 fighters and the arrests of 175, according to L.R. Bishnoi, the police chief of the town of Kokrajhar. Mr. Bishnoi said that groups of gunmen had opened fire on Tuesday in three different locations, killing 10 women, 11 men and four children. |
| The authorities in Assam have requested the deployment of paramilitary troops from the national military, and 5,000 service members will join the fight against the militants in the northeast, Mr. Gogoi told reporters. | The authorities in Assam have requested the deployment of paramilitary troops from the national military, and 5,000 service members will join the fight against the militants in the northeast, Mr. Gogoi told reporters. |
| “The government has to deal with the situation very firmly,” he said. “There is no other way. Otherwise, you have to surrender to these militant groups.” | “The government has to deal with the situation very firmly,” he said. “There is no other way. Otherwise, you have to surrender to these militant groups.” |
| Also on Wednesday, a police official in the district of Chirang said that attackers had hacked three members of a tribal group to death, leaving two women and one child wounded. Bir Singh Munda, a member of the tribal group, said that villagers had already begun to flee in anticipation of further violence. | Also on Wednesday, a police official in the district of Chirang said that attackers had hacked three members of a tribal group to death, leaving two women and one child wounded. Bir Singh Munda, a member of the tribal group, said that villagers had already begun to flee in anticipation of further violence. |
| “People are very much under fear,” he said. “The situation is very tense. Today, the violence spread into new areas. Tribals are under attack." | “People are very much under fear,” he said. “The situation is very tense. Today, the violence spread into new areas. Tribals are under attack." |