What is the Nellie Massacre, on which Assam govt has tabled inquiry report, Pg16

Key Highlights:

• The Assam government recently presented reports on the Nellie Massacre of February 18, 1983, one of post-Independence India's worst mass violence incidents.
• The official report is the ‘Commission of Enquiry on Assam Disturbances,’ led by IAS officer Tribhuvan Prasad Tewary.
• The Nellie massacre occurred during the Assam Agitation that started in 1979, with an official death toll of 1,800, mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims.
• Assembly elections in Assam were announced for February 1983, leading to a boycott by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP).
• On February 18, 1983, Nellie experienced violence between 8:00-8:30 am and 3:00-3:30 pm, resulting in the deaths of numerous Muslims, including women and children.

Detailed Insights:

• The Assam Agitation sought to identify, remove, and deport illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, causing significant unrest.
• The Tewary report indicates that officials in Nagaon anticipated violence before the election but underestimated its scale.
• Prior to the elections, authorities detained 1,046 people preventively and suspended arms licenses to control potential violence.
• Communication breakdowns and field information network failures compromised prevention and response efforts.
• Intelligence about a potential attack was received as early as February 15, but key police officers claimed they received the information after the violence had already started.
• The commission criticized the OC Nagaon for not informing the SP Nagaon about the message regarding the potential attack.
• A CRPF company arrived in Jagiroad on the night of February 17 but was not effectively utilized to prevent the massacre.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Assam Agitation: A movement in Assam from 1979-1985 aimed at identifying and deporting illegal immigrants.
• Preventive Detention: The act of detaining individuals to prevent them from committing crimes or disrupting public order.
• Commission of Enquiry: A body constituted by the government to investigate specific incidents or issues and submit a report.