Tura, July 25: In wake of grim law and order situation in Garo hills
and death of two migrant labourers in the last four days in Tura, an
emergent meeting was called by deputy commissioner of West Garo Hills,
Pravin Bakshi.
Bakshi has asked sub-divisional officer (civil), Dadenggre, Sibhi C.
Sadhu to meet his counterpart in Assam, A L Gyani, sub-divional
officer, Hatsingimari with leaders of social and religious
organisation immediately.
He said, “Confidence building measures will be discussed between the
two officers, besides regular joint patrolling along Assam-Meghalaya
border areas of Garo hills and in Tura to apprehend miscreants and
militants”.
On different civil bodies already staging protest in Mancachar and its
adjoining areas, Bakshi said, “The organisation will be informed about
counter insurgency initiatives to thwart of rising anti-social
activities”.
He also informed that an appeal for peace will be made and local peace
committees shall be formed.
“We are taking steps to ensure that no outbreak of violence takes
place along Assam-Meghalaya border villages”, he added.
Bakshi said that the decision to review the situation and steps were
taken in consultation with Home (police) department and political
department in collaboration with district administration of West Garo
Hills and district police.
The review meeting also decided that very soon there shall be a team
headed by a magistrate that shall visit all construction sites and
take stock of the migrant labourers therein and report any anomalies
and also suggest security and welfare measure for construction
workers.
The deputy commissioner in a release has made an earnest appeal to all
organisations affiliated to minorities and concerned with non-tribal
labourers that the current situation requires patience and tolerance,
so that the steps can be taken to neutralize the forces behind this
devious design to incite communal tension.
The release also requested all organizations both religious and
related to migrant labourers to maintain calm and cooperate with the
district administration and the government to maintain law and order,
peace and tranquility and communal harmony.
“It is made amply clear that the spate of killings has a clear design
to vitiate the communal atmosphere of Garo hills and neighbouring
districts and precipitate a law and order situation, wherein communal
tension prevails with a intent to gain strategically from it in terms
of the current police operations against militancy in Garo hills. This
has been clearly suggested by multiple security inputs and
intelligence reports”, Bakshi said.
An advisory was issued to the superintendent of police to cause
independent inquiries into all the cases o murder of innocent
labourers in West Garo Hills and identify and apprehend the people
behind these condemnable killings.
He also stated that an instruction will be issued by deputy
commissioner as chairman of the district level task force on labour to
make available to the office of the Deputy Commissioner/ Deputy Labour
Commissioner/Superintendent of Police information about the presence
of non-tribal migrant labourers at work sites and construction sites
even including private individuals.
The district administration has set up a dedicated control room with a
phone number, which is 09089398451, to receive information on
extortion, demand notes, militancy, etc.
Angry mob today attacked SDO civil, Hatsingimari, A L Gyani in Assam’s
Dhubri district. The civil bodies along Assam-Meghalaya border
village, where protesting against the death of a migrant labourer in
the outskirt of Tura.
Police fired eight rounds in the air to disperse the crowd. No one was
injured. The activists in Mancachar and its adjoining area is
demanding compensation for the bereaved families and President’s rule
in Meghalaya.(SP News)
