By Patricia Mukhim
Yesterday a friend called to ask me about the situation in Shillong. I replied that there is a 48 hour bandh called by the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) which commenced on August 13 at 6 pm and will be lifted at 6 pm on August 15. “What’s the bandh about?” asked the friend. I explained that the bandh is to protest against the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) ban on coal mining in response to a petition filed by the student’s bodies from Dima Hasao, Assam and also to protest the colonial rule by India over the “jaidbynriew” of Ri Khasi- Jaintia. “What’s that?” he asked. I tried to explain that jaidbynriew is a reference to the Khasi-Pnar-Bhoi-War groups of ethnicities inhabiting the Khasi-Jaintia Hills. “Oh so jaidbynriew excludes Garo Hills?” the friend asked. I said Garo Hills has its own national movement and it is at the moment in a complete state of turmoil. “What about?” asked the curious friend. “Well, the Garo people too want a State of their own and they have created about a dozen militia to achieve that aim”, I explained.
“Alright so let’s talk about the HNLC. Who is the Chairman or the Commander-in-Chief of the outfit ? Who is the Secretary? And how is the hierarchy organised?” the friend queried. Very hesitatingly I ventured to answer that actually the HNLC is headed by a faceless guy called Sainkupar Nongtraw who operates through a Facebook account. He is a guy who seems to spend a lot of time on the internet managing his Facebook account because that’s how he talks to his followers. He sends an email to media houses to declare a bandh on issues he considers are a matter of life and death for the ‘jaidbynriew.’ He posts pictures and quotes of philosophers and ideologues from across the globe. His profile is that of Che Guevara, the Argentinian Marxist-Leninist revolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, diplomat, etc., He also helps post comments of his followers who have recently left their organizations (the Khasi Students’Union and Jaintia Students’ Union). In a sense SN’s Facebook account is like a corporate account that every member of the Council can access.
“Hmmn Interesting, and who are the Facebook friends of Sainkupar Nongtraw?” asked my rather inquisitive friend. I recited a list of names I saw were friend of SN such as those from the leading University of the region -North Eastern Hills University (NEHU) and some with a penchant for foul language and swear words. “So the police allows this anti-national, anti-people Phantom to operate seamlessly is it?” the curious friend queried. “Well going through the Facebook posts of SN I noticed that he had apologized for a previous Facebook account that was “shut down by the b….. security forces,” I answered.
Later the friend came down to brass tacks. “So is the bandh working or what? I am supposed to be in Shillong on Friday for a meeting?” I told him that schools, colleges and NEHU the University were all closed. Taxis were not plying. The Government buses (the red JNNRUM ones and the maxi taxis) were operating but with scanty passengers. It also has been raining non-stop since Wednesday night and co-incidentally it always rains when the HNLC calls a bandh. I also told the friend that Traffic Policemen at General’s Point, Fire Brigade Point and some other vantage points were missing. They probably anticipated that there would be very few vehicles on the road and therefore there was no need for them to exercise their arms. Besides, the weather is such that one is tempted to get under the quilt than run around in a city that looked like it was under a self-imposed curfew.
My friend let out some outrageous, unprintable slangs. “Don’t tell me you people are so intimidated by a Phantom whose face you have never seen? So what is your Police Force doing? Are they even making their presence felt? Have they asked the schools and colleges to open up on the promise of providing security to them? Are the banking establishments open? Have the shops been asked to keep their shutters up? If there is need for more boots on the ground the central police forces and the para-military forces could be asked to pitch in, couldn’t they? Is there any show of resistance, because, if as you say even the Traffic Police are missing from action then I would call it a collusive action. There seems to be a definite collusion between the Police and the HNLC,” he rattled on.
Before I could answer his rather quirky questions he said, “Look, the reason why we citizens have surrendered to the coercive authority of the State is because we are promised safety and security. Have the Police even registered a case against this SN guy for causing loss of crores of rupees? Have they not been able to track his IP address and the source of his emails? What the ……are the Police doing? And who is your DGP? Does he even know that keeping the population indoors for 48 hours is not real policing work? If the citizens are indoors because they fear for their lives, then naturally the police don’t have much work. But isn’t it the role of the Police to ensure that life is as normal as possible and that people feel safe to venture out?” I told my friend that he could have a conversation with the Police Chief when he arrives at Shillong and get all the answers to his queries from the horse’s mouth.
But seriously, what the hell is happening to Meghalaya? Garo Hills is in a state of anarchy. No one really knows what’s happening. It’s hard to keep track of events there. People are kidnapped for paltry sums of money and some are simply shot in cold blood. The banks would soon cease to function because there is no security whatsoever and no one can guarantee that another bank official will not be kidnapped. Subodh Mishra is still missing and the State Bank officials have been on strike to seek his release.
I wonder, in fact, if there is any part of the region today that is as disturbed as Garo Hills, where fear stalks the ordinary citizen and every person is afraid of his own shadow. And here in Khasi-Jaintia Hills we are prisoners of fear having surrendered our liberties to a Phantom who is so afraid to disclose his real identity. And he has the gumption to say that he is leading the ‘jaidbynriew’ on the path of liberation. Liberation from what? Does he even know what it is to earn an honest living? Has he ever earned his plate of rice? Or is his livelihood now threatened by the coal mining ban that he has to run for cover and call a bandh against the ban? I am ashamed that we as a people have succumbed to this empty threat! I am ashamed of our Police force which is paid to protect our lives and property but are who never produce results. Above all, I feel deflated that we have a Home minister who did not even give a call to citizens to defy the 48 hour bandh. It is not necessary to look up to Dr Mukul Sangma for everything, Ms Warjri. You have a Department to run and you had better get the cops to deliver!
And contrary to your assumption that the media is the villain of the piece and hyping up the crimes in Garo Hills, there are many more outrages in that region that we fail to cover. We are only doing our duty. Jai Hind.