GUWAHATI, June 12 - Demanding exemplary punishment for the culprits involved in the lynching incident in Karbi Anglong on June 8, the Karbi Sahitya Sabha and the Asam Sahitya Sabha today appealed to the people to exercise restraint and not fall prey to provocative agenda of antisocial elements.
A delegation of the Karbi Sahitya Sabha and Karbi Students� Association (KSA) today met the Asam Sahitya Sabha leaders here to make a joint plan for clearing all the misconceptions and mistrust from the minds of people and maintain peace in society.
�We are embarrassed due to the barbaric incident and we condemn it in the strongest terms. Apart from a failure of the law and order machinery, the incident occurred because of the child trafficking-related misinformation on social media and also because of ignorance and superstition among people,� general secretary of the Karbi Sahitya Sabha (Karbi Lamet Amei) Kamsing Hanse told the media here.
�However, we also realise that criminals have no caste, community or religion. It is wrong to blame an entire community or an entire area due to such incidents. Karbis are the sons of the soil and have been contributing to the society maintaining a cohesive relation with other tribes and communities. Threatening an entire community or using unparliamentary words against them is not acceptable,� he added.
Bijoy Bey and Simeon Rongphar, presidents of KSA, said the student body had informed the administration about the growing concern among people after the child-lifters related messages went viral on social media. �The IT cell of the administration should have taken proper measures on time,� they added.
Asam Sahitya Sabha president Paramananda Rajbongshi said the greater Assamese society must not be divided on such issues. �Culprits must be punished and we would launch a joint programme against superstitions from July. However, the NRC update and the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill are our major concern, for which we need the entire Assam to stand together,� he added.
Former Sabha president Rong Bong Terang also condemned the incident and asked people to maintain peace.
The All Assam District Administration Employees� Union and the Gauhati University Teachers� Association also expressed grave concern over the incident and demanded a fast-track trial. NGO Milan Sangam lighted candles and earthen lamps in memory of Abhijeet Nath and Nilotpal Das, the victims of the lynching incident.
Questioning the role of police and the district administration in the entire episode, members of the All Assam Unemployed Association today wrote to the Assam Human Rights Commission demanding a thorough probe into the incident.
