An estimated 3,000 Muslims were killed in the 1983 massacre during the height of the Assam agitation, also known as the anti-foreigners’ movement
GUWAHATI – The Assam government has decided to table the long-overdue Tribhuvan Prasad Tiwari Commission report on the 1983 Nellie massacre in the legislative assembly on November 25. The report, submitted 41 years ago, investigates the violent incident that claimed over 1,800 lives, mostly Bengali-origin Muslim women and children, with unofficial estimates putting the toll at 3,000.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the decision to table the report, months before the state goes for polls.
The Nellie massacre occurred on February 18, 1983 in ncentral Assam, during the Assam Agitation against alleged illegal migration from Bangladesh. Despite registering 668 FIRs, no one was arrested in connection with the violence. A commission, led by retired IAS officer Tribhuvan Prasad Tiwari, was set up in July 1983 to probe the circumstances surrounding the massacre and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents.
Although the report was submitted in May 1984, it was never made public. Chief Minister Biswa Sarma stated that the authenticity of the report was verified through forensic tests and interviews with clerks from the time. He emphasised that the report is a part of history and should be presented.
Politically Motivated: Congress
Leader of the Opposition and Congress leader Debabrata Saikia termed the move as politically motivated. “Post 1983, there had been no communal tension in Nellie. So, I do not understand why the government plans to table the report after so many years. The Hindu-Muslims divide is the most favourite subject of the Assam chief minister and the ruling party,” he said.
“The government had failed to carry forward its Hindu-Muslims divide agenda, particularly after the death of iconic singer Zubeen Garg. So now he is trying to open up the issue of the massacre so that there is polarisation ahead of next year’s elections,” he added.
The chief minister’s decision comes amidst heightened tensions over alleged illegal immigration from Bangladesh and concerns about Bengali Muslims living in Assam. The move is seen as a step towards shedding light on a dark chapter in Assam’s history.
