TURA: Even as the Tura police arrested ten activists propounding the cause of a separate Garoland, the Garo Hills State Movement Committee (GHSMC) on Thursday temporarily called off its ongoing indefinite Garo Hills bandh.
Informing this in an official communiqué here on Thursday, the GHSMC chairman Nikman Ch. Marak said the executive committee of his organization would meet shortly to decide its future course of action if the arrested leaders including Augustine R Marak were not released unconditionally.
The Statehood group’s indefinite bandh to put pressure on the government to release its members, who were arrested after Tuesday’s incident at Tura Deputy Commissioner’s office, failed to find any takers.
Several organizations including influential GSU have opposed the bandh.
Meanwhile, Tura police arrested 10 Garoland activists from a hostel of Tura Govt College taking the toll of detainees to 23 on Thursday.
Police raided the boy’s hostel of Tura Govt College at Teteng Aja shortly at around 3 pm and arrested the 10 boys for their alleged involvement in the Tura DC Office incident where Government employees were assaulted and a woman was allegedly manhandled.
“We arrested the 10 students from the hostel after their names were revealed by the previously arrested members who were taken into custody from AOC area on Wednesday,” said Tura SP, Mukesh Kumar Singh.
He added that the 10 arrested students had confessed that they were part of a larger group which forced their way into the DC’s Office after their plan to move into Rajabala-Phulbari areas was scuttled by police at Selsella on Tuesday.
The arrested students are Chive A Sangma (Pedaldoba), Bush N Sangma (Forestilla), Ranggirra Ch Marak (Williamnagar), Sengpil Arengh (Ampati), Phelian Ch Sangma (Baghmara), Chengcheng R Sangma (Chokpot), Luckson S Sangma (Okkapara), Silrong N Sangma ( Baghmara), Sillo A Sangma (Purakhasia), Sangreng Ch marak (Selsella).
CM condemns Tura incident
Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma on Thursday came down heavily on Garo Hills State Movement Committee (GHSMC) activists for storming the Deputy Commissioner’s office saying nobody has the right to damage public property or trample upon the rights of other people.
The statement from the Chief Minister came two days after the attack on Government staff at Tura Deputy Commissioner’s office.
Dr Sangma also dismissed the demand put forth by statehood activists to bifurcate Meghalaya into two separate Khasi and Garo states.
“I do not foresee further division of Meghalaya. There is only a bunch of people who are asking for this (statehood),” he said.
Mixed response to bandh: Meanwhile, the GHSMC-sponsored bandh evoked a mixed response Garo Hills. East Garo Hills district showed the way into opposing the sudden shutdown. In Williamnagar town, attendance in government offices was 100 per cent and educational institutions functioned normally.
“Life is normal and people are going about their work unhindered. There is no impact of the bandh in the district,” said Deputy Commissioner, V K Mantri to The Shillong Times. Elsewhere, the bandh had a mixed response at Phulbari, Tikrikilla, Dadenggre, Resubelpara, Mendipathar while Rajabala, Bhaitbari, Rongram and Jengjal were reportedly open.
GSU opposition: Meanwhile, Garo Students’ Union has opposed the indefinite bandh call given by Garoland activists and cautioned that they would not allow it to be enforced on the people of Garo Hills.
The GSU also condemned the assault of government employees of the DC’s Office and demanded that the guilty should be punished.
“We will not allow any indefinite bandh to be enforced on the people. The GSU along with the FKJGP, AYWO, ADE and FAF will ensure that the indefinite bandh does not take place,” said GSU President, Tengsak G Momin.
On Thursday, GSU volunteers were seen moving to different parts of Tura encouraging traders and vendors to open up for business. The GSU was also backed by other NGOs and citizens of the Town.
Tura South MLA, John Leslee K Sangma told The Shillong Times that he endorsed the move of the GSU and does not support the indefinite bandh. He also said that he met the arrested GHSMC members and urged them to call off their indefinite bandh.