From Our Correspondent
TURA: To intensify the movement for a Garoland State, the Garo Hills State Movement Committee (GHSMC) will hold a sit-in dharna in front of deputy commissioner’s office of three districts from Monday next.
Informing this here on Monday, the GHSMC secretary Augustine Marak said sit-in dharna would take place at Tura, Williamnagar and Baghmara from August 26 to 30.
However, there would be no picketing of offices during the week-long protest, Marak said.
Stating that the sit-in demonstration would be from 9 am to 4pm, Marak sought support from non-Garo communities like Marwari, Bengali, Koch, Hajong, Rabha etc.
GSU bandh : Meanwhile, the day-long GSU sponsored dawn-to-dusk bandh throughout Dadenggre region on Monday impacted normal life in the plain belt region. But there was no report of disturbances even as a student leader was arrested on extortion charges, a day earlier.
The Dadenggre bandh led to the closure of Phulbari, Tikrikilla, Chibinang, Selsella, Dadenggre, Garobadha and Jengjal. Rajabala and Bhaitbari towns were partially closed during the 5 am to 5 pm closure called by the GSU and several NGOs of the region.
The Jengjal to Anogre route of National Highway 51 was completely deserted during bandh hours and several dozen vehicles packed with passengers were stranded at Rari awaiting the completion of the bandh.
The student and social organisations are demanding the removal of tainted Selsella BDO Dr D Roy.
Earlier, on Sunday the general secretary of the Selsella unit of the A’chik Youth Welfare Organisation, Hubert Marak, was arrested by police on charges of extortion and enciting violence. The arrested student leader is a secretary of a village employment council while his organisation has been supporting the GSU in the agitation to have a new BDO for Selsella.
