GUWAHATI, Jan 12 � Third party is involved in the Garo-Rabha clashes that have been affecting the lives of the innocent people in the East Garo Hills district of Meghalaya and the Goalpara district of Assam. Common people have nothing to gain from all such clashes. The peace-loving people of both the ethnic groups should stand united and uphold the tenets of brotherhood to defeat all diabolic designs of these forces, which are bent on effecting a rift between the two groups.
The civil society organisations of the State should stand by those affected in these incidents extending all sorts of help for restoration of the age-old feeling of brotherhood among the two peoples and peace in their areas. There should also be serious attempts at ensuring the proper rehabilitation of the victims of the violent incidents. The affected people should be sent back to their native villages with proper security arrangements and other supports at the earliest.
The mothers, babies, girls and women taking shelter in the relief camps of Meghalaya and Goalpara are facing indescribable hardship these days and efforts should be made to bring an end to their miseries. For, the relief measures taken so far are not gender-friendly.
These were the observations made by the participants of a public meeting jointly organised by the Action Aid, North East Network, OKD Institute of Social Change and Development, Assam Nagarik Samaj, Anwesha, SPADE, Mahila Samata Society and the Ajagar Social Circle at the southern bank of the Dighalipukhuri here today.
They also called for Government steps to provide adequate security to the affected and vulnerable people and to stop violent incidents henceforth with a firm hand.
The participants were also of the opinion that the civil society should take all the possible steps to stamp out the jingoistic tendencies, which have been afflicting a section of the youths of the two groups.
A good number of representatives from both the ethnic groups took part in the meeting. Those who spoke at the meeting included noted artist Sukracharya Rabha, Chamberlain Sangma, Bidyut Rabha, Manika Saikia, Reba Marak, Padumi Rabha, Paresh Malakar, Ashok Nath, Uttam Bathari, Loknath Goswami, Madhusudhan Das and Samudragupta Kashyap, among others. The meeting was presided over by Assam Nagarik Samaj advisor Prof Anuradha Dutta and chairperson of the North East Network Manisha Behal explained its purpose.
