Women stage protest against Arunachal Scouts, seek immediate withdrawal

GUWAHATI: More than hundred of women staged a protest against unruly behaviour demonstrated by the Arunachal Scout (AS) at Buddha Park in Bomdila under West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday.

Notably, some personnel of the 2^nd AS misbehaved West Kameng Deputy Commissioner Sonal Swaroop and policewomen on November 2 and 3.

During the protest, the women submitted a representation to the DC seeking immediate action against the AS personnel and said, “The unruly behaviour of the AS personnel was evidence of their “utter disregard for the policewomen on duty.”

The women while condemning the act further said, “This also indicates their utter disregard for law and order and maintaining peace, which is required of personnel belonging to a disciplined armed force.”

Notably, the protesters stressed that two AS personnel not only misbehaved the Bomdila police station officer-in-charge but also physically assaulted and snatched the ‘lathi’ of a policewoman when she tried to intervene.

“We are surrounded by army men in the district. What if we had to go out at night and bumped into such army men? We are not safe at all, which is why we have to raise our voices today,” the women said.

Meanwhile, in accordance with the incident, several other West Kameng-based organizations also wrote a joint memorandum to the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) on November 3 and sought immediate withdrawal of the 2nd Arunachal Scouts from the district.

In its five-point memorandum to the PMO, the local organizations demanded free, fair and speedy investigation against the officials and men of the AS stationed in Bomdila, besides immediate disciplinary proceeding and exemplary punishment as per the rules.

Meanwhile, the organizations also demanded the immediate restoration of the public and private properties damaged by the AS, and said the AS has to apologize to the district administration and the police personnel.

Meanwhile, Governor BD Mishra met Chief Minister Pema Khandu, the Army’s Eastern Command General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Lt General Manoj Mukund Naravane, Chief Secretary Satya Gopal, 3 Corps General Officer Commanding, Lt General Gopal R, and Director General of Police SBK Singh at Raj Bhavan here on Tuesday and emphasized on better cooperation and teamwork among the security forces “to instill a sense of security among the people, especially the population in the border areas.”

Also read: Arunachal News