Confusion surrounds TGCSU bandh call
From Our Correspondent
TURA: The decision of the Tura Government College Students’ Union (TGCSU) to call for a non-cooperation movement in West Garo Hills has led to near total confusion with the union initially seeking two days of shutdown but later scaling it down to just a day and then only to return to its original position of Thursday and Friday.
The Tura Government College Students’ Union, on Tuesday announced a 5 am to 5 pm two-day closure of West Garo Hills district and Tura town to put pressure on the government to fulfill its demands.
The district administration swiftly imposed Section 144 CrPC to contain the agitators and issued a stern warning to the government employees that action would be taken if they fail to attend office.
However, various student and social organizations led by the Garo Students Union met the TGCSU leaders and held a meeting on the college premises on Wednesday wherein it was decided to organize the strike for just a day.
The admission to various technical institutions by students who excelled in the Class XII examinations is currently on.
“A delegation of the Joint Action Committee which included GSU leaders Tengsak G Momin and others called on my office in the afternoon to inform that the agitation has been reduced to just Thursday. How can they go back on their word?” a visibly annoyed Deputy Commissioner Sanjay Goyal said.
What led to the change of mind remains unclear.
The college students union is demanding the release of adequate fund for proper building infrastructure to the oldest college in the Garo Hills. It also wants appointment of sufficient sdtaff and filling of vacancies to various lecturers posts, among others.
The proposed agitation will affect the ongoing budget session of Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
The budget session got underway on Tuesday and was expected to pass several financial bills pertaining to staff salaries and other developmental schemes.
The session is due to end on Friday and with the college union seeking an extension of the strike there is every possibility of the session getting rescheduled.
Earlier, on Tuesday, Goyal met a delegation of the college students union and tried to reason with them on the futility of strikes and closures informing them that such steps do not serve any purpose other than hardship for the common man.
“Already the state government has fulfilled a major portion of their demands by releasing a sum of Rs. 1.3 crore for infrastructure of the college,” informed the Deputy Commissioner.
“Their demand for creation of new posts and filling of vacancies undergoes a process wherein the relevant paper works have to go through the planning and finance departments. There is an official procedure one cannot bypass,” said Mr Goyal.
Meanwhile, news of the impending strike has led to a spree in shopping by the citizens of the town. Food and vegetable stalls literally ran out of items with consumers not hesitating to pay what was demanded just to get their hands on the precious commodity.
“What I should have sold in the coming three days has already been cleared this evening itself,” informed a beaming vegetable vendor of Tura market.