Police firing draws widespread condemnation
SHILLONG: The UDP has demanded constitution of a High Level Committee (HLC) to inquire into the unprovoked firing by Police at Wapungskur village in East Jaintia Hills on Wednesday resulting in the death of two people.
“The State Government is solely responsible for this unfortunate incident since it has failed to take stock of the situation. This incident would not have taken place had the Government been alert,” UDP working president Bindo Lanong said in a statement on Thursday.
While condemning the incident, UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh, in a separate statement, said, “The magisterial probe announced by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma is unacceptable in the interest of fairness and justice.”
The UDP youth wing also condemned the incident. “We demand a judicial inquiry instead of the magisterial inquiry,” UDP youth wing president Hamlet Dohling said in a statement.
Dohling also condemned the brutal killing of Banker Passah, a 23-year-old student from Chilliangraij, Jowai, at Dharwad in Karnataka.
The State Coordination Committee of Coal Owners’, Miners’ and Dealers’ Union has also condemned the tragic incident in which two persons were killed in police firing in Jaintia Hills.
The Committee, while welcoming the announcement of compensation for the victims, also demanded ex-gratia for the injured persons.
The Committee also condemned the attack on East Jaintia Hills SP, his officers and magistrates of the district while performing their duties.
‘Police firing a violation
of human rights’
Several NGOs in Khasi and Jaintia Hills Districts including the KSU, JSU, HYNF, AJYWO, JYF, JSM, HANM, MUPF, NEIF and FKJGP, have strongly condemned the brutal killing of two persons by police personnel.
Leaders of the NGOs on Thursday inspected the firing incident site at Mookhep village.
FKJGP president Joe Marwein termed the killing of the two persons by men in uniform as a violation of human rights.
“They (police) killed them like animal. We are not wild beasts, we are human beings and in a democratic country we have the right to protest if we feel that the government or any authority is affecting our feelings and livelihood,” the FKJGP chief said.
He urged the government to speed up the inquiry so that the culprits are given punishment as per the law.
KSU president Daniel Khyriem also condemned the killing and said, “Let the people of this village take any decision, we will be by their side.”
Meanwhile, the MPCC has condoled the death of two civilians in police firing on Tuesday at Wapungskur village in East Jaintia Hills.
Also, in a statement issued on Thursday, Rev. P.B.M. Basaiawmoit, said, “It is ironical that on the day the Government (Centre & State) inked the Memorandum of Settlement with the ANVC, two persons at Wapung Skur, East Jaintia Hills, were killed through shots fired by police personnel.
“The Meghalaya Police have denied resorting to firing and instead put the blame on the BSF personnel travelling in a BSF bus. The issue becomes all the more mysterious.”
BSF to assist civil
administration
Two BSF Companies deployed at Ranikor in South West Khasi Hills district and at Shillong, have been mobilized to assist the local police to deal with the situation arising out of the clashes between agitators and the civil administration of East Jaintia Hills district.
A BSF statement on Thursday said that the BSF companies while moving to Jowai and Khliehriat faced the wrath of the public who had assembled on NH-44 after the death of two civilians and injury to several others in police firing.
The BSF companies could not reach Khliehriat because of road blockade near Wapung village and were diverted to Jowai.
After halting at Jowai for the night, the BSF troopers reached Green Valley Cement Factory, Khliehriat, on Thursday for assisting the local administration in maintaining law and order.