By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Guwahati: Addressing a press meet organised by Justice & Equity Demand Samiti (JEDS) Assam at the Guwahati Press Club on Thursday, Prof Abdul Mannan, Secretary JEDS and editor of Assamese monthly ‘Ayna’ presented a brief picture of the happenings that led to the current strife and violence in the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) of Assam.
The death toll in the violence had risen to 43 on Thursday as more and more dead bodies were being unearthed in different areas of the strife-torn BTAD.
According to Prof Mannan, involvement of Forest Department personnel in the firing and killing of people has been reported. While the Police have arrested some personnel, the kingpin of the planned murders has not been booked till now because of his close proximity to some important functionaries of BTAD.
Reports published in media state that there are 1,309 licensed and 5,000 illegal arms in the hands of people in BTAD which are often used in the massacre of common people to perpetuate the killings which have been going on in the area since early 90s. There is nothing noticeable or on record to prove that the Government is sincere in addressing this issue.
In context of the above, JEDS and its allies recommended the following:
The Govt should immediately arrest and prosecute persons who made provocative speeches to trigger the recent violence as also those who instigated Govt personnel to take part in the slaughter of innocent persons living in the area.
The CM of Assam has instituted an enquiry by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the matter. But since NIA’s jurisdiction covers acts of terrorists alone, and they have no brief over the acts of politicians, it is in all fitness of things that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) be constituted immediately under the stewardship of a retired Supreme Court Judge to inquire into the matter.
Compensation of Rs 10 lakh be given to the next of kin of those killed in the violence and Rs 5 lakh to those injured in the violence.
Adequate family pension be instituted for women widowed in the violence and Govt take the responsibility of bearing the educational expenses of the children orphaned in the violence.
Since providing security to the citizens is the responsibility of the Govt, let the Govt maintain law and order with full authority. The Govt ought to establish police pickets in identified vulnerable areas and impractical proposals such as providing arms to citizens for protecting themselves should be nipped in the bud.
There are more than 10,000 vacancies in the Police Department lying unfilled in the State. The Govt should fill these posts at the earliest on the basis of its own Act formulated in 1994 which proposes filling of the posts proportionately from all districts of the State on the basis of the population pattern of the districts. This would indeed provide for better policing in the State in general and in the affected areas of BTAD in particular.
The process of social assimilation is of utmost importance in which, besides the Govt, the civil society and the media must play a positive role. The issue need not be looked upon as a communal or ethnic divide, but as an issue of human rights. JEDS extended its support for the Assam Governor’s proposal that developmental schemes at the village level in BTAD should be either through Panchayats or Village development Councils so that unwarranted mediation of politicians could be avoided. The Samiti also proposed that the RBI should conduct a special survey to establish new bank branches in the affected area so that the process of development in this backward area could be expedited.
The following personalities extended their support to the fulfilment of the above recommendations and appealed to the people of Assam to maintain peace and harmony in the State at all costs: Prof Monirul Hussain (Gauhati University), Dr Abu Nasar Sayed Ahmed (former Professor, IIT Guwahati), Komoruzzaman Ahmed (Al Ameen Welfare Society), Prof Abdul Salam (retd Vice Principal, Dhing College), Prof Abul Hussain (Associate Professor, Dudhnoi College), Rezina Khatun (retd Associate Professor, Madhya Kamrup College, Baihata), Sherman Ali Ahmed (MLA), Aminul Islam (MLA) and Nurul Islam Laskar (senior media person). They also expressed appreciation for the media and the civil society for the way the issue has been projected and handled so far that has prevented further escalation of the violence in the area and hoped that this is maintained and strengthened in the days to come.