Tura violence: Bakshi convenes meeting

SHILLONG, JUNE 30: The West Garo hills deputy commissioner Pravin Bakshi has convened a comprehensive, broad based, consultative meeting on Monday at 11am in the DRDA conference hall in Tura of all senior citizens, legislators , NGOs , youth organizations , members of the United Christian Peace Forum (UCPF) to discuss the recent spate of violence which had its origin in Tura and also discuss about preventive measures to ensure that such incident doesn’t recur.

By hold such a meeting, Bakshi hoped that through discussions and deliberations a strategy with clear timelines shall be formulated on how to deal with the problems of unrest, how to check drunken behavior and restlessness amongst the youth and how to employ them more productively.

Bakshi also propose setting up of an inter faith forum with participation of religious leaders from all religions, faith and denominations and the district administration will notify the formation of the inter faith committee.

Bakshi proposes that the inter faith committee will meet from time to time to instill faith and confidence in different communities co-existing in different localities of the town and different areas in the district. This will be a forum which will immediately convene emergent meetings when there is even whiff of communal tension or  a communal conflagration and will  take all possible measures to defuse the crisis and restore normalcy

The meeting will also decide on what measures can be taken to enlist the migrant labourers working in the coal mines or construction sites and to enumerate them accurately and effectively . The idea is to ensure their identity and also to institute measures for their safety and welfare and ensure that they receive their minimum wages and they have proper identity and registration.

There is already in place a district level task force for migrant labourers which need more intensive and focused support in terms of manpower and administrative direction.

The need to control deviant behaviour amongst the youth will top the agenda during the meeting as the district administration got report saying that many of the youth involved in the mob violence that resulted after the molestation of a mentally challenged girl were in an inebriated state.

The meeting will discuss strategies for skills development and capacity building for the youth who are increasingly turning to alcohol and substance abuse to deflect their frustrations. It will be discussed on what role  the senior citizens and elders of the Church and other religious bodies can play to counter drunkenness and rowdy behaviour of the youth in the late evening hours .

Measures to curb on bootleggers and small time criminals who peddle drugs and banned medicines will also be discussed .

The meeting will discuss specific measures to ensure effective and intensive patrolling , social control and parental control to curb unrest and deviant behavior and strict measures to punish regular defaulters and offenders .- By Our Reporter