SMRF stages protest rally in Delhi seeking justice

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

Itagar, May 27: Hundreds of people including monks under the banner of Save Mon Region Federation (SMRF) staged a peaceful rally at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Thursday protesting against Tawang police firing.

21-year-old Nyima Wangdi, a monk from the Tawang Mostery and 31-year-old Tsering Tempa from Jangda village were killed and several others injured when police opened fire on the crowd of around 2000 who were demanding immediate release of Lama Lobsang Gyatso, the most vocal opponent of hydropower projects in the Tawang region and secretary of SMRF on May 2 last.

Various organizations including tiol Alliance of People’s Movements (PM), South Asian Network for Rivers, Dams and Delhi Solidarity Group extended their solidarity with the SMRF and also demanded justice to the victims of Tawang police firing.

They strongly condemned the ‘high-handedness of the administration’ in dealing with peaceful protesters and said that the guilty must be punished.

Alleging nexus between the State machinery and the Private power developers against the interest of the people in the Mon region, the organizations said they will never allow such nexus to continue.

The directions of NGT and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change must be adhered to in dam construction, the organizations said. Earlier on May 24, a delegation of the SMRF along the representatives of PM and Delhi Solidarity Group (DSG) met Chairman, tiol Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) and sought justice for the victims of Tawang firing.

The Chairman assured the delegates that he will direct State authorities to register cases under Prevention of Atrocities (SC/ST) Act, and also ask for CID and judicial enquiry, not involving local police in investigation.

The NCST chairman also assured compensation to the injured and the relatives of the people who were killed in police firing, the Federation in a press statement said.

However, the demand for CBI enquiry into Tawang killing and issues pertaining to procedures for project approval are yet to be addressed, the Federation added.

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