TURA, April 11: “Hell hath no fury like a voter scorned” ought to be the phrase to replace the word “woman” after a sitting MDC of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council experienced it first hand when public vented their anger and rained blows on him for attempting to bribe them with cash for votes in a remote village of Chokpot region in South Garo Hills on Sunday evening.
The sitting MDC of the regional Garo National Council (GNC) representing Silkigre constituency in Chokpot, Augustine R Marak, was the Deputy CEM in the early part of the Dipul R Marak-led Executive Committee before he was dropped allegedly due to widespread complaints from other MDCs against his style of functioning and administration.
Despite electioneering having come to a close at 4 PM on Saturday, the GNC candidate was accused of violating the election guidelines by allegedly moving from village to village to try and woo voters.
It was at Emangre village of Chokpot that he met his match at the hands of the public.
According to villagers, Augustine entered Emangre village around 6 PM on Sunday in an expensive Mahindra Thar jeep along with his supporters and tried to distribute money in favour of votes.
Irked by the alleged attempt to buy votes, the public protested and an argument broke out during which some of his supporters allegedly tried to threaten the villagers.
It led to an all out confrontation and soon a mob gathered and began raining blows on the MDC and his supporters. They attacked his vehicle and severely damaged its glass and other body parts.
Fearing for his life after sustaining multiple blows to his face and body, the MDC reportedly fled to the polling station in the village to seek refuge and it was only because of the quick response by the Chokpot police that Marak was rescued safely.
He and his supporters were later taken to Chokpot health centre for treatment.
While this may have been his first political spate with the public, he has also had a run-in with the law earlier.
Prior to his joining politics, Augustine Marak was a member of the youth brigade of the GNC and during a bandh called against non-tribals in Garo Hills his group had attacked an elderly man for violating the shutdown in the plains belt.
Augustine and his fellow supporters narrowly escaped with their lives when a mob of several hundred people gave chase and it due to police intervention that he was safely transported to Tura.
Despite the incident, Marak and his supporters created a law and order situation pelting stones on government employees inside the Tura DC’s office who attended work during the bandh call. He was later taken into custody. The rest is history!