From Our Correspondent
TURA: Peace meetings were held separately in Nangalbibra and Williamnagar following the killing of eight migrant workers in coal quarries on Sunday night.
In Nangalbibra, scene of the gruesome murders, a peace meeting was held between the district administration of South Garo Hills with the local Joint Action Committee, Garo Students’ Union, Mothers’ Union, Coal Merchants’ Association and church elders. Both tribals and non-indigenous members of the public also took part in the meeting and condemned the cold-blooded murders.
The leaders appealed for peace and harmony in Garo Hills and the bordering state of Assam and appealed to all not to react to rumours.
It was decided to organize a peace rally on Tuesday to send out a strong message of unity.
The rally at 1 PM will move from Patargittim playground to Nangalbibra police station.
Another peace meeting was held in Williamnagar where the local student bodies including the GSU assured the minority community of all possible help in this time of crisis.
The student leaders said that efforts would be made to ensure peace in the area. It was also decided to form peace committees at every locality that would work in coordination with the administration to check hate crimes.
It was robbery and murder by dacoits: JAC
The Nangalbibra Joint Action Committee (JAC) has dismissed the murder of eight coal labourers as hate crimes and claim that the motive for the killings was purely to rob.
“It is a case of dacoits killing to rob,” claim the JAC. They added that the labourers were paid their dues amounting to over a lakh of rupees a day earlier, on Saturday.
“The labourers were carrying the money with them at their camps near Chinarong stream of Dobakol when they were attacked by dacoits,” claims Zinbaward N Sangma, publicity secretary of the JAC.
