Demand for making magisterial probe report into Mookhep firing public gets louder
SHILLONG: The two pressure groups from Jaintia Hills have served the State Government a 10-day deadline to make the magisterial inquiry report into Mookhep firing public, failing which they have threatened to start mass agitation.
The Hynniewtrep Achik National Movement (HANM), Jaintia Hills Unit and Jaintia National Council (JNC) made this announcement after staging a ‘black flag march’ in the capital city on Monday.
The protestors, numbering over 50, managed their way to the venue at Malki Ground. The march, which was peaceful, culminated at the parking lot of Additional Secretariat.
“We want the State government to make the magisterial inquiry into the Mookhep killings public before December 10. If the government fails to comply with the demand, we will go for mass agitation,” said JNC Chairman Sambormi Lyngdoh.
Addressing the gathering, he questioned the Government’s motive behind “hunting for the people involved in the November 5 riot. “Whereas in case of Mookhep firing no arrest has been made so far,” he said.
Two villagers were killed and several others injured on September 24 last year at Mookhep area under East Jaintia Hills district in the police firing on a crowd protesting against the apathy of the Meghalaya government to address the concerns of people following the National Green Tribunal ban on coal mining in the state.
Echoing a similar view, HNAM central body president Lamphrang Kharbani said, “We are ready to fight till the end, we don’t mind even if we are jailed by authorities concerned but we will ensure that the two lives, we’ve lost should get justice.”
“It is time that the chief minister listens to the voice of the public and ensure guilty policemen are booked as per law,” he said.
The two organisations lambasted PWD Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar and Education Minister RC Laloo for maintaining a stoic silence on the issue despite being from Jaintia Hills.
East Jaintia Hills additional deputy commissioner SS Syiemlieh, who probed the Mookhep firing incident, submitted the report to the government. However, government rejected the report stating that the report posed more questions than answers.
Though, the pressure groups demanded from the Meghalaya government to make public the magisterial inquiry report, but instead the government instituted a high-level probe headed by commissioner and secretary Donald.P Wahlang.
The State government on Sunday said that it would examine the Wahlang report before making it public.