SHILLONG: The Garo Students Union, which had called for closure of shops in Tura on Wednesday, expressed displeasure over the District Administration’s move to reach out to traders urging them to keep their shutters open.
GSU president Tengsak Gabil Momin also alleged that there was bias on the part of the District Administration and the police in dealing with the ‘murder’ of Sengat Sangma, who died of injuries received during a brawl in Rishipara locality of Tura, and the events that transpired.
Momin said that Sengat Sangma and his two friends were assaulted by some local goons at Rishipara, and the police after arriving on the spot arrested the victims instead of the assaulters and detained them for the night.
The GSU also questioned the medical officer for failing to admit the victims despite their grievous injuries.
“As a mark of condolence to the deceased we had appealed to all traders of Tura to close their shops for a certain period of time on Wednesday and many welcomed the idea and conveyed their eagerness to observe the same. However, on Tuesday evening, the District Administration contacted several traders and warned them of dire consequences if they failed to keep their shops open,” he said. He also said that if closing shops as a mark of condolence is a contempt of court then on what basis did the District Administration allow business establishments to keep their shutters down when NPP leader Bibash Das died last month.
“Why did the District Administration ask only non-tribal businessmen to keep their shops open, while no tribal trader was given a similar instruction? The district administration and the police are making an attempt to divide the tribals and the non-tribals of Tura to present a different picture of the whole incident to protect their own officials and the culprits,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, the GSU under the leadership of Zikku Balgra N Marak while strongly condemning the recent incident at Rishipara locality of Tura appealed to the general public to maintain peace.
The union sought the strongest of punishments to the culprits involved in the murder of the 16-year-old boy, as well as action against the doctor on duty and the armed personnel who manhandled the victim and his friend and urged the District Administration to probe the incident.
