The Coordination and Welfare Committee (CWC) of Shella Bholaganj block has written to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma over the brutal murders of two non-tribal men in the Ichamati region on Wednesday.
The deaths followed a rally taken out by pressure group members against the Citizenship Amendment Act, the rules of which were framed by the central government recently.
The CWC has demanded that central investigative agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or National Investigation Agency (NIA) be allowed to probe the deaths if the state police make no headway within a week.
The deaths of Ishan Singh and Sujit Dutta in separate incidents came almost exactly four years to the day that another anti-CAA rally resulted in the death of Khasi Students Union (KSU) member Lurshai Hynniewta in Ichamati.
How the police and district administration could have allowed another rally in the same area that continues to remain highly sensitive is a question on the CWC’s mind and those of many other observers.
The letter was signed by the CWC’s Gopal Dey. He called on the state government to provide justice and compensation for the deceased’s next of kin.
He also said that non-tribals are disadvantaged by pro-tribal laws that limit “their economic opportunities, livelihood, freedom and ultimately life itself”. The tribal-centric political system often marginalises non-tribal voices and discrimination against non-tribals limits access to housing, education and employment, Dey added.
To further protect the non-tribal residents of Ichamati, the CWC called on the state government to assign a paramilitary force, such as the CRPF, to protect the residents there, introduce strict laws to tackle miscreants belonging to pressure groups, address discrimination and promote inclusivity and diversity and provide support for non-tribal economic upliftment and integration into Meghalayan society.
The letter was copied to the Meghalaya Governor, Union Home Minister and Prime Minister.
