Militants attack Chokpot Block office with grenades
From Our Correspondent
TURA: In a sudden escalation in violence and brazen attack on government establishment and those violating its bandh call, suspected Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militants shot dead a truck driver and his helper near Mendipather and exploded a grenade inside the Chokpot Block Office in South Garo Hills district in broad daylight.
The GNLA had called for a 12-hour all Garo Hills bandh on Tuesday in protest against the killing of its deputy army chief Roster Marak ,and three others by police commandos near Williamnagar, last week.
The first attack by the militants came barely an hour after the bandh began. Heavily armed GNLA militants numbering between 8 and 10 stopped an empty coal truck at Tapa Darenchi village, 5 kms from Mendipather on the road to Songsak at around 7 AM. They opened indiscriminate fire killing the handyman of the truck. The driver, who was also hit, made a run to the village but ultimately died from excessive bleeding before help could reach him.
Both the deceased hailed from Pancharatna area of Goalpara district in Assam.
Six hours later, another group of five armed GNLA militants daringly walked into the Chokpot Block office complex which also houses offices of several other departments.
The militants apparently targeted the offices for opening up to work during the bandh call.
A small number of employees who were inside fled in terror as they saw the five armed men approach the perimeter of the office. While the militants didn’t target the fleeing government servants they were apparently miffed with the office chawkidar for opening the office. They vented their anger out on the poor man raining blows on his body with rifle butts and shouting at him for not adhering to the bandh call.
The militants then lobbed two hand grenades inside the room of the office but only one exploded causing some damage.
The manner in which the militants struck with impunity has shaken the security agencies and decision makers of the government.
“We did expect some form of retaliation against the security forces during the bandh call but not on this scale. It was quite a shock,” revealed a senior police officer.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports mention that another group of militants opened fire on a petty trader in Jadigittim market, near Nangalbibra in South Garo Hills for opening his shop for trade during the bandh call. That report has not been confirmed.
“We have not got any confirmation about the Jadigittim incident because all road and telecommunication lines are down due to the thunder storm that triggered landslides and we are unable to move from other parts of the district to the area, presently,” informed a district police official from Baghmara.
Meanwhile, condemning the incident, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma said the Government would take all steps so that a peaceful atmosphere prevails in the state.
Confusion over Bandh timing extends closure: Meanwhile, confusion reigned supreme over the exact timing of the militants bandh call with the public remaining under closed doors all throughout the three districts of Garo Hills on Tuesday evening.
The GNLA had called for a dawn-to-dusk bandh (6am -6pm) on Tuesday in protest over the killing of its four senior cadres. However, absence of proper confirmation of the bandh timing kept people indoors even after the 6 pm.
Tura, Williamnagar, Baghmara and all other towns remained closed with no people or vehicular movement. Even shops and other business establishments continued its closure during the evening hours.
“Why take chances with militants. There was no proper report on the bandh timing and since no one has opened shop why should we?” a worried trader asked from Tura bazaar.The militants bandh had a near total effect in almost all major towns of the three districts.
Tura, Williamnagar and Baghmara remained totally shut during the shutdown period and even the sub divisional headquarters of Ampati and Dadenggre did not open up. Other towns such as Garobadha, which was to have its weekly market today, Phulbari, Tikrikilla, Selsella, Jengjal (all in West), Bajengdoba, Resubelpara sub-division, Mendipather, Rongjeng (in East) and Chokpot in South remained closed for fear of reprisal attacks by the GNLA.