From Our Correspondent
TURA: Thousands of citizens from Garo Hills took part in a memorial service on Friday evening in memory of the nine people who died in police firing six years ago during protests against proposed changes to the MBOSE.
Memorial services were held at Tura Chandmari field and Ronggrenggre playground of Williamnagar — the two sites where the killings occurred on September 30, 2005. Ever since the two firing incidents the day has been observed with solemnity and special prayers.
The day began with families and friends paying a visit to the cemeteries to place floral wreaths on the graves of the nine victims and the Garo Students’ Union together with the September 30th Firing Victims Solidarity Forum leading the observance with a two hour silence from 10 AM to 12 noon which was the time when the tragedy began to unfold on that fateful day.
Life came to a grinding halt as shops downed shutters and vehicular traffic went off the roads during the two-hour observance.
Later in the evening several thousand people, mostly teenagers and college students, gathered at Chandmari field and Rongrenggre playground to participate in the memorial service for the nine victims. Special prayers were held and hymns sung in memory of the dead and a traditional bamboo torch was lit at the very spot where each victim fell to police bullets.
In Tura, Pastor Darwin PK Sangma of Christian Family Church led the gathering in prayer for the departed souls.
