Assam Language Agitation Turns Violent, 6 Killed; Bihar Train Crash Kills 9
On July 22, 1986, violence erupted in Assam's Cachar district over the language issue, resulting in six deaths and over 35 injuries during police firing in Karimganj. The mob reportedly engaged in arson and threw stones at the district headquarters. An indefinite curfew was imposed on the town, and troops were placed on alert. The unrest also spread to Silchar. This violence coincided with the first visit of Chief Minister Prafulla Mahanta to the Cachar division since he assumed office in December.
In a separate incident, nine people died and 53 others were injured—19 seriously—when a goods train collided with the 28-Up Maurya Express near Gomoh station in Bihar. According to Divisional Railway Manager D K Mathur, the victims included the wife, two children, and brother of Janata Party MP from Chapra, Ram Bahadur Singh.
