Twin murders: Ichamati-based group under fire for pointing finger at KSU

SHILLONG, March 31: The HNYF and FKJGP have taken exception to the Coordination and Welfare Committee (CWC) of Shella-Bholaganj Block and adjoining areas holding the KSU responsible for the alleged murder of two people at Ichamati in East Khasi Hills on March 27.
In a statement here on Sunday, HNYF president Sadon K. Blah said the CWC was trying to give a communal colour to a sporadic criminal incident relating to the murder of two labourers.
He sought to know how the CWC came to a conclusion about the KSU when the police were investigating the death of Ishan Singh and Sujit (Phuruin) Dutta. “We feel this is an attempt to create communal tension and disharmony. We will not tolerate this,” he said.
Blah said the Meghalaya Linguistic Minority Development Forum (MLMDF) was adding fuel to the fire by declaring to organise a protest against the duo’s death.
“We will strongly oppose any attempt by such groups to spark communal tension in the state. The Khasi community remained calm and composed after the alleged mob lynching of Lurshai Hynniewta,” he said, adding that the MLMDF’s bid to hold a public protest was an open challenge to the HNYF and the indigenous people of the state.
Blah said the federation would organise a protest on April 7 against the accusation that the tribal people murdered the two labourers. The FKJGP, too, decided to hold a sit-in protest against the MLMDF at Khyndailad on April 7.
In a statement, FKJGP secretary general Eldie N. Lyngdoh warned the CWC Shella Block president, Gopal Dey for accusing the KSU of murdering the two non-tribal labourers.
“It is the job of the police to find out the truth,” he said, pointing out that those behind Hynniewta’s murder have not been arrested yet.
Dey should also have demanded the arrest of the killers of the former KSU leader, Lyngdoh said.
The Jaintia Students’ Union also condemned the CWC for pinning the twin murder on the KSU when there were no eyewitnesses. It asked the district administration not to allow or issue any permission to the CWC to hold protests and demanded action in the Hynniewta murder case.
Even the Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) has opposed the permission sought by MLMDF to hold a protest in the city against the Ichamati killings.
“Although it is a democratic right of people to protest this particular request to protest at this moment will only inflame and create and increase communal tensions in our land,” HITO president Donbok Dkhar stated in a letter address to the Deputy Commissioner.
Stating that they are not against the protest by the MLMDF, he said that it is the constitutional right of anyone or any organisation to peacefully assemble in protest. “However, if such protest is permitted to MLMDF then they would also like to request that permission is granted to HITO to assemble peacefully in protest for justice in respect to the murder of Late Lurshai Hynniewta on the same date and venue where permission is permitted for the MLMDF in Shella/Sohra or Shillong.
“We strongly oppose and condemn the allegation made by the CWC against our Khasi brothers /KSU. Unless police find concrete evidence it would be premature and incorrect to accuse and insinuate that tribals are doing all assault and criminal activities in the state against the Bengali community,” the HITO added.