THE kidnapping of Gaganendra Sanyal a physical instructor who had popularised the Scouts and Guides Movement in Garo Hills and served selflessly for over three decades bodes ill for the future of this beleaguered region and throws the entire education system out of gear. Teachers are gripped by a fear psychosis, not knowing what lies ahead of them and whether they might be the next targets. Sanyal’s abduction has sent shockwaves not just in Garo Hills but across the state, county and beyond. His former students who are today well-placed individuals serving in different capacities within the country and abroad have expressed their concern and appealed to the kidnappers to release him unharmed. Reactions to the Sanyal kidnapping are many and varied. Why would a teacher be kidnapped? Can he afford to cough out the ransom money, if ransom is what the group that kidnapped him are looking for.
Police sources believe that the kidnapping is the handiwork of petty goons from Mankachar bordering Assam and not the militant groups of Garo Hills. But the situation in Garo Hills as of today is so vitiated that any criminal gang can operate with impunity. The vibrant civil society voices and initiatives of a few years ago are today subdued. Perhaps the fear of reprisal from militant outfits has far exceeded their courage to restore the climate of peace in the region. Normally the space of civil society gets drastically squeezed when militancy is on the upswing. Meghalaya does not have a culture of community policing which creates a climate of easy interface between the public and police. This rapport cannot be built only in times of crisis as militants use this as a ploy to label anyone close to the police as ‘informers’ The public attitude towards police has always been adversarial and militants have taken advantage of this distrust and rift to drive the wedge even deeper. When the people of Khasi-Jaintia Hills decided they had had enough of the HNLC, they co-operated with the police in countering militancy. It is time for the police to begin confidence building measures and win back the trust and faith of the public and civil society. Meanwhile we can only hope that good sense prevails on the kidnappers or that police put enough pressure on them to release Sanyal unhurt. It is our fervent wish and prayer!
