Some Spunk at Last

For as long as we can remember conflicts between ga aggressors and Assamese people living in the Assam-galand border areas have always had only one outcome. The gas, assisted by the galand government, have the always had the upper hand in such conflicts. As a result, Assam territory under occupation of galand is well over 66,000 hectares. galand has built government offices, hospitals and other buildings on Assam territory, and some of the polling booths for the general elections of galand also fall within Assam territory. Earlier, much of this conflict was confined mainly to the Merapani area. In recent times, however, goons from galand have spread the conflict to other areas along the border. There have been several instances of killings and arson of Assamese households by ga goons—all with the help and blessings of the galand government that refuses to honour any bilateral agreements on interstate borders. In August last year, ga miscreants torched 16 villages, killing 11 persons and rendering over 10,000 people homeless. In all this, the role of the Assam Police has been dismal to say the least. Time and again, it is the will of the galand police and the goons of galand assisted by them that has prevailed. The Assam government has never been anything more than a mute spectator to the ga atrocities.

In recent weeks, however, two important developments have brought some change to the existing state of affairs along the Assam-galand border. The first is something that two intrepid individuals have triggered off. In February this year, an Assam schoolteacher had filed an RTI application seeking information about steps taken against those involved in last year’s border skirmishes in which all the victims had been people of Assam living along the Assam-galand border area. This prompted the Chief Information Commissioner of the galand Information Commission (NIC), Kevinino P. Meru to issue a notice to the galand government to submit a report on last year’s border skirmishes. The Commission, vide its letter NIC/APPEAL/16/2014-15), had directed the first appellate authority, office of the Chief Secretary of the galand government, Public Information Officer of the office of the Director General of galand Police, Special Secretary, Additiol Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Home Department of the galand government to appear on March 23 and bring files and relevant documents for scrutiny. The hearing will be held at the galand State Information Commission’s “hearing room” at the Old Secretariat Complex at Kohima. The schoolteacher’s RTI application was followed up by a second appeal from Rajen Pujari, a resident of Dergaon town in Golaghat district. It stated that he had received no information to his earlier application addressed to the Special Secretary of the Home Department of the galand government and to his subsequent first appeal addressed to the first appellate authority. In his latest RTI application, Pujari referred to the announcement made by the galand Chief Minister to his Assam counterpart that his government had taken necessary action against those who were involved in the border feud In Uriamghat under Sector B of the Assam-galand inter-State border in the second week of August last year. He wanted to know what actions had been taken in this regard along with the mes of the persons arrested, case numbers and under what sections of the IPC they were booked. He also wanted to know what steps had been taken for the rehabilitation of the victims from the galand side. Since it failed to get the required information even 90 days after filing the RTI application, he made the second appeal to the NIC asking the authorities concerned to answer his queries. A time has come when glib, untruthful responses from the galand government will no longer do and hard facts have to be presented to satisfy the victims of violence that the government is indeed taking action against the goons who have been working with tacit support from the galand government itself. It is heartening to find that there are people like the schoolmaster and Rajen Pujari who will not be cowed down by miscreants from galand who have dealt death, destitution and misery to defenceless citizens merely because they do not happen to be gas.

The second heartening development in a long saga of cowardice is the rehabilitation of displaced people in the Roman Basti under the supervision of the Golaghat Superintendent of Police P.P.Singh. When the rehabilitation work got started, a group of 20 to 25 ga miscreants confronted a team of the Golaghat administration that had gone to Roman Basti to start the rehabilitation process. Apparently, after an altercation with the officers concerned the miscreants moved away. As a result, four houses were completed on Wednesday, thus rehabilitating four families. The rehabilitation process is slated to continue in the coming days. There are 1,055 displaced people still sheltered in the relief camps at Uriamghat.

Both developments mark welcome changes to the total iction of the Assam police in the Assam-galand border area over the decades. For as long as one can remember, our police force has totally failed the State in the conflict between Assam and galand. For years, innocent citizens of Assam living in the border areas have had to suffer dastardly armed attacks by people from galand enjoying the protection of the galand government. All bilateral border agreements have been flouted by the galand government. After every peace talk there has been total unilateral rejection of all the proposals accepted by both Assam and galand. The so-called neutral force manned by the CRPF et al is blatantly partisan towards galand obviously because of the callous attitude of the Assam Police to the fate of the Assamese people living in the border area. In this familiar milieu, a bit of spunk and the use of the RTI for a change is truly refreshing. They are bound to bring about some desirable changes.