TURA/WILLIAMNAGAR: Flowers and colorful wreaths, candles lit, a soft prayer and the sound of gospel hymns marked the 10th anniversary of the September 30 firing incident in which nine civilians, mostly students, fell prey to the firing by security forces at Tura and Williamnagar playgrounds in 2004.
The victims of the September 30 police firing were remembered in two separate memorial services organized on Wednesday evening by the 30th September Victims’ Solidarity Forum. The memorial service which marked the 10th year of its observance began at 5:30 pm at the cenotaph erected in their memory at Chandmary Playground in Tura while in Williamnagar the observance was held in the late afternoon.
On a humid and cloudy September day, 10 years ago, hundreds of students and the public marched into Chandmari field in Tura and Rongrenggre playground in Williamnagar to participate in a protest rally to oppose the State Government’s move on ‘revamping’ the Meghalaya Board of School Education.
The rally took a violent turn in Tura and later Williamnagar leading to clashes between the public, during which security forces opened fire killing four persons in Tura and five in Williamnagar. Scores of people also received bullet injuries.
Baghmara was spared a similar tragedy on that ill-fated day as heavy rains forced hundreds of students who had assembled in open ground to participate in the protest to leave the area and head back home.
During Wednesday’s memorial service, Church leaders, citizens and leaders of NGOs and social organizations echoed their praises for the ultimate sacrifice made by the victims who laid down their lives for the cause of the Garo people.
The scriptures were read and hymns sung as reverends and pastors led the gathering in prayer for the souls of the nine departed.
The famous hymn “Nearer my God to Thee” was the parting number sung by the choir as the solemn event came to a close.
During the memorial service speakers ranging from religious leaders to student members spoke of the tragedy and offered prayers.
Manseng A Sangma, the president of the victims’ solidarity forum said that all inquiries instituted into the incident had cleared the public in Tura of all blame. He informed that the inquiries had all pointed the finger at the administration for its in-organized and unwarranted action.
Former general secretary of the FAF, Sengrak D Marak, whose arrest led the situation to escalate, urged the youth not to seek revenge but to observe the occasion peacefully. He, however, said that justice had not been delivered to the families of the victims even after ten years.
The programme witnessed the lighting of torches placed at the spot where each victim fell to police bullets by the parents and family members of the victims. Bouquets were also placed at the cenotaph by family members and the public followed by the lighting of candles.
In Williamnagar the occasion was observed at the Rongrenggre Government School Playground while in Baghmara, a candle light service was held after a prayer service for the victims.
