On November 22, this year Assam Police who were allegedly trying to apprehend timber smugglers from Mukroh village in Meghalaya fired from close range at the villagers who had come out in large numbers to protect the three men from the village who were apprehended but were not timer smugglers. The driver and handyman of the truck carrying the timber had already escaped. Villagers of Mukroh said the three men who were detained by Assam Police were returning from their rice fields after they heard gunshots (the tyres of the truck carrying timber were shot at). They were running for their lives when they were arrested. This is the version of the villagers of Mukroh.
Following this incident, the Assam CM had said that Assam Police should not have fired indiscriminately and without provocation. He had also stated that a special investigation team (SIT) would investigate the firing that killed 5 villagers. Union Home Minister, Amit Shah also stated that the CBI would inquire into the matter. Interestingly, on Saturday December 24, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma went back on his word. He categorically stated in the Assam Assembly that the police firing in Mukroh on November 22 was an act of self-defence by Assam Police and was necessitated to protect government properties.
It would appear that the Assam CM has already come to his own conclusions about the reason for the death of five Mukroh villagers even before the investigation agencies could get to the root of the firing incident. In the melee of November 22, a forest guard from Assam was also killed. Sarma who also holds the Home portfolio was answering to a starred question in the Assembly. He categorically stated that the Assam Forest official was attacked and killed by ‘miscreants’ from Meghalaya following which the Assam Police fired in self defence. Sarma relied on a report by the Superintendent of Police, West Karbi Anglong District. While the villagers of Mukroh say they live in constant fear of intimidation earlier by Karbi militants and now by Assam Police, the Assam CM says ‘miscreants’ from Meghalaya have been creating law and order problems along the inter-state border. These claims and counter-claims have created bad blood and have turned into a battle of who blinks first. The Assam CM cannot take a stand on a matter that is pending investigation. The Meghalaya CM should make his stand clear on this. Is he going to allow Assam to be the judge, jury and executioner in this case? What is the status of the enquiry if any? These questions need to be answered to the people of Meghalaya because as of now it appears that Assam is calling all the shots on the border issue.
