SHILLONG, April 23: The Meghalaya unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Meghalaya Linguistic Minority Development Forum (MLMDF) on Tuesday demanded justice for the two minor girls who were allegedly raped and assaulted during the Chenga Benga Mela at Gandhipara in South West Garo Hills on April 17.
The ABVP said a gang of unidentified youths assaulted the two girls as well as two boys who were accompanying the victims.
“The incident occurred around 9:30 pm when the victims were taking rest a few kilometres away from the Mela venue. The assailants, wearing black masks, launched a sudden and brutal assault on the group, leaving the boys unconscious and incapacitated before assaulting the girls,” the ABVP said.
Condemning the incident and expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, the organisation urged people to raise their voice against the “barbaric” act and work collectively to prevent such incidents. It urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure justice.
Meanwhile, the MLMDF also condemned the incident and demanded stringent action against the perpetrators of the crime.
“It is a shameful and heinous crime and the authorities should leave no stone unturned to arrest the culprits. We, the linguistic minority communities living in Meghalaya, wish to live in peace and harmony with the indigenous communities,” the MLMDF said in a statement.
It added, “MLMDF not only strives to seek justice and protect the rights of the linguistic minorities living in Meghalaya but also believes in justice for all and will not tolerate any injustice or harm caused to any individual or community in Meghalaya.”
“The recent incidents of hate crimes leading to the loss of innocent lives and this barbaric and shameful incident, which has traumatized and scarred two minor children for life, highlights a total breakdown of the law and order machinery in our state. We urge the government to take swift and stringent action to apprehend (the culprits) and punish them severely,” the statement further said.
The MLMDF demanded adequate compensation and assistance to the victims.
