Family of coal labourer awaits justice in Meghalaya

By TCN staff reporter, Guwahati: Every year hundreds of people become victims at the hands of armed groups. The case of Meghalaya is not different though it’s not much visible. Available data indicates that insurgency related fatalities in Meghalaya are declining but compensation and rehabilitation of the victims is still a dream.

Insurgency related Fatalities in Meghalaya: 2002-2010

Year	Incidents	Civilians	Security Forces	Militants	Total
2002	84	28	14	24	66
2003	85	35	7	37	79
2004	47	17	8	22	47
2005	37	1	0	23	24
2006	38	6	0	20	26
2007	28	9	1	85*	95
2008	16	1	2	88*	91
2009	12	3	0	67*	70
2010**	2	0	0	18*	18

*Since 2007 onwards, MHA started giving out combined figure of arrested/ killed/ surrendered militants**Data till January 31, 2010. Source: Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as quoted in http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/Meghalaya/data_sheets/annualreport.htm

Coal export to neighbouring Bangladesh is a lucrative business in Meghalaya and it is badly impacted by instances of extortion and kidnapping by suspected militants groups. Government officials, businessmen, doctors, and influential politicians etc are targeted for this purpose. It was reported that since 2000, nine custom inspectors were kidnapped from Gasuapara, a coal export point in South Garo Hills and later released. Most of the cases of kidnapping for extortion are carried out by suspected militants. Former Meghalaya police official-turned-politician Akhil Hajong, kidnapped for a ransom of Rs.20 lakh by GNLA, was freed unharmed in April, 2011 at Ruga Bazar in South Garo Hills.

Family of Fulera Bewa The latest figure in the list of the fatalities of civilians is the killing of five coal labourers on April 6, 2011 at Goka, near Baghmara of South Garo Hills, about 475 kms away from Shillong. The five labourers namely Ram Badan Yadav, Zakir Ahmed, Muhammed Noor, Muhammed Habil and Samirul were working at a coal dumping area in Goka that belonged to Musa Bai. Media reported that earlier suspected members of Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) served extortion notes to the coal export company Good Luck Export Company that belonged to Asghar Ali from Bihar. The extortion notes demanded a huge amount, failure of which infuriated the suspected militants who killed the labourers to create fear in the minds of all concerned. The GNLA is headed by police officer-turned-militant Champion R. Sangma, and is fighting for a sovereign 'Garoland' in western Meghalaya.

Fulera Bewa, the widow of Muhammed Noor, is hardly 35 years old now with three daughters. She informed that she had received neither compensation nor any assistance following the untimely death of her husband. ‘I lived with the family at Mahendraganj (West Garo Hills) while my husband worked at Gako (South Garo Hills) for ten years. He used to visit the family at times. It was Tuesday, April 5th, 2011 that I talked to my husband for the last time. We discussed family matters for three hours and he promised to visit home in Mahendraganj in the coming month. He was a cook in the company and was working for about 11 years at Goka. I came to know that on April 6th at about 1 am, about 25-30 armed men entered their premises and asked the labourers to sit in a queue in a bench. Then they started shooting, killing five and injuring one called Babu alias Rakib Ali from Mankachar (Assam).’

Local newspaper The Tura Times reporting the incident

Fulera informed that the incident created fear and nowadays no one stays at Goka at night. She added that the office of the Good Luck export company situated at Mahendraganj was also looted and valuables taken away.

Muhammed Nur was 43 years old and he was earning 4000 rupees a month, the only income of the family of six members. He fathered three daughters in 1994, 1998 and in 2006.

‘We married off our first daughter Noorzina Begum and her husband Surujamal looks after the family’, said Fulera. ‘My daughter was below 18 years of age at the time of her marriage and we hid this fact due to fear of the police’, she comments. Surijamal is now 25 years old and works in the same Good Luck export company.

The family has not filed any case due to fear of repercussion and prays for justice from the company and the administration.