TUR & CSWO protest against human trafficking in State

FROM A REPORTER

SHILLONG, Jan 11: The rally called by TUR and CSWO to protest against increasing trend of human trafficking in the State took an unimous decision to demand the immediate resigtion of Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh in order to ensure an independent inquiry into the trafficking of a 14-year-old minor girl.

According to the NGOs, the Home Minister should be removed or resign from his position as the guest house (Marvelene Inn) is owned by his immediate family and also due to the fact that the Inn was the place where the minor girl was trafficked and assaulted twice.

The rally, which started from Fire Brigade and concluded at Additiol Secretariat, witnessed huge presence of security personnel. The rally was participated by people from all walks of life right from Person With Disability (PWD), NGOs, public representatives, etc.

Around 300 people marched towards the Additiol Secretariat parking lot from Fire Brigade holding placards and shouting slogans condemning the recent rape and trafficking cases in the state while also voicing their demand for the Home Minister’s resigtion.

The rally has also taken a resolution to demand from the State government that all guest houses and hotels, be it private or government, med by the victim as places where she was taken to should immediately be shut down pending inquire and licences revoked and owners booked and blacklisted when implicated.

NOC issued by any authority should be revoked. Before the rally concluded member of TUR Angela Rangad informed that they will be submitting a 9-point demand memorandum to Chief Minister Mukul Sangma as the State is horrified at the recent incidents of trafficking and sexual assaults on minors involving elected representatives and other influential people.

The people gathered at Additiol Secretariat parking lot unimously shouted ‘YES’ when a question was raised by Rangad whether they agree or not with the demand calling for the resigtion of the Home Minister to facilitate a clean investigation into the case.

The participants in the rally demanded that POCSO Act 2012 along with the Crimil Law Amendment Act 2013 be properly invoked to ensure that investigations are carried out in a time-bound manner as prescribed by law, setting up of fast track courts and special courts in all the districts of the State.