'Communal strife a conspiracy against people'

GUWAHATI: Communal strife in Assam may be as old as India's Independence, but now there's growing clamour for politicians to step aside and let intellectuals intervene for peace.
"Why's there so much violence? What is it all for? Who will gain?" asked popular theatre and cine artiste Zerifa Wahid, who is 'sickened' by the slaughter and violence in Udalguri and Darrang districts.
Literary luminaries, social activists, filmmakers and the intellectual fraternity of Assam have called upon non-political and social organizations to take the initiative to restore peace in the two trouble-torn districts. "What's happening in Udalguri is extremely sad. It's the result of a long-standing conspiracy against the peace loving people of Assam," said Asom Sahitya Sabha chief Kanaksen Deka.
He blames the government for its "inefficiency and ineptitude" in handling the situation. "Apart from the external influences, there are several internal elements trying to destabilize the state for their vested interests," he said.