From Our Correspondent
TURA: Saturday morning’s simultaneous peace rallies in the three district headquarters of Garo Hills and Resubelpara Civil Subdivision culminated with a memorandum being given to the state government by the organisers United Christian Peace Forum (UCPF) appealing to the authorities to look at the issue of militancy beyond that of a law and order situation.
The forum has called for talks between the government and the militant groups in the interest of the State and its people.
The present situation can no longer be treated as a mere law and order problem and the need of the hour for talks across the table between the government and the militant groups, the UCPF reckoned.
The forum has been particularly concerned over the escalating violence in Garo Hills and the disruption to normal life with the calling of frequent bandhs. They pointed out that in such situations of closure it is the common man who suffers the most particularly daily wagers, students and the traders.
Efforts by the administration in making government employees attend to work with arrangements of special transportation has been unsuccessful given the fear psychosis among the population, it was pointed out by the forum in its memo to the government.
The forum has underlined the need for the government to ensure safety, security and peace of the common man.
Concern has also been laid on counter-insurgency operations with the forum calling for extreme caution on the part of authorities so as to prevent human rights violations particularly on the womenfolk and the youth.
One of the issues raised was the war of words between the ANVC and the GNLA on the media network which the forum felt is raising tension. Both groups have been asked to desist from such unsavory remarks on each other.
