TURA, MAR 9: Six GNLA militants opened fire at a School at Rabhagre village, near Rongsai in West Garo hills at around 2:30 in the afternoon during the twelve hours bandh called by the militant outfit. West Garo hills SP Mukesh Singh said that the police who were present there retaliated but the militants fled.
Singh informed, “They left behind five bags containing arms and ammunition.”. He said the police recovered a 7.65 mm pistol with one magazine and five live round ammunition, 625 gm gelatin class 2 explosive, 6 nos. safety fuse, 2 nos. electric detonators, one GNLA demand pad with seal, one GNLA deed agreement book, 10 nos. empty cartridge case, one Bajaj CT100 motor cycle bearing R/C no. AS – 013 – 6862, one Bajaj discover R/C no. A/F. “No casualty was reported”, he added.
As the twelve hours GNLA bandh crippled normal life cutting transport communication across the five Garo hills district, the students appearing for board examination suffered because of the communication bottleneck even though the militant outfit had exempted the students from the bandh purview.
With private transportation unavailable, the students had to depend on public transportation made available by the district administration even as some students were seen using private vehicles to reach their examination centres.
Most of the students from the rural areas depended on public transport to reach to examination centres in rural areas. Some brave students took up the challenge to walk to the nearby examination centres, whereas, others hired vehicles for themselves.
In major towns, the district administration had ensured elaborate arrangement with deployment of public transport but rural areas were left out in several areas. In remote areas, students had to travel as far as 12-20 km to reach to their examination centres.
The Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) called the bandh to protest against alleged “police highhandedness” and “fake encounter.” But the bandh called during the board examination has not gone down well with the student community.
“Most students usually avail city bus service to reach to examination centres. The bandh posed a challenge as people fear to come out and private communications were not available”, said an aggrieved citizen.
Many social organizations came forward to help the student community but the service was minimal.
In Tura, several private vehicles including the Tura Public Transport Service (TPTS) were seen plying from different locations to the examination centres. But all areas could not be covered and because of communication gap many walked to their examination centres.
“We had placed 15 TPTS buses in the town which traveled to outskirts to ferry students to the nearby examination centre”, West Garo hills deputy commissioner Pravin Bakshi informed.
At Government Boys’ Higher Secondary School in Tura, many students reached the examination centre as early as 8 am. The examination began at 10 am. Teachers from respective schools were seen visiting different examination centre with vehicles displaying placard “on examination duty”.
“We arranged public transport services in rural areas and have coordinated with the Garo Students Union. The numbers of student appearing were encouraging at the examination centres”, said Cyril Diengdoh, deputy commissioner of East Garo hills district.
In East Garo Hills, bus services were available from Songsak, Rongjeng and Rongsak. In South West Garo Hills, five buses were stationed for transportation of students to the nearby examination centres.
There were many students of higher secondary and college level, who were seen riding bikes and scooter displaying the placard. “GNLA made a big mistake. We strongly condemn this. It is a great loss for the student community”, said Adinson Momin, an activist of A’chik Youth Welfare Organization (AYWO).
In almost every examination centres across Garo hills, a dozen students failed to turn up. At Christian Girl Higher Secondary School examination centre, eight students failed to turn up. At Government Boy Higher Secondary School examination centre, 21 students failed to turn up.
“We are yet to receive details from respective heads of institution and controller of examination. The board will take the call on this”, informed Bakshi. The controller of examination failed to respond to call and SMSes.
For the first time the GNLA called a bandh during the board examinations. Irked over the prevailing situation, AYWO activist Momin said, “The guilty police personnel should be suspended immediately and a judicial probe instituted on the killing at Oragitok.”
Momin also appealed to the GNLA not to call for any bandh during examination. “There were many students who reached examination centres late but we had to allow them”, said an official of an examination centre.
The bandh was total as government, business and financial establishment remained closed. “Almost all government offices were closed today. We had tried to reach out to the government servants but they failed to attend duties. At deputy commissioner’s office we functioned with skeleton staffs”, Bakshi added.
There was a circular from the chief secretary that government servants have to attend duties, which was not honoured.- From Our Correspondent
The bandh shouldn’t be called during the board examination..this is very awful to all of us…