Why Maoists kill
Why people become Maoists
Assam shuts itself in to protest verdict
OUR BUREAU
July 30: An angry Assam today shut itself in during a “bandh with a difference” when people responded spontaneously to a strike call to protest CBI’s alleged inept probe that led to the acquittal of the lone surviving accused in the Parag Das murder case.
The Manab Adhikar Sangram Samity (MASS) called the bandh soon after the district and sessions court, Kamrup, acquitted Mridul Phukan on Tuesday after the CBI failed to provide enough evidence.
In the lower Assam areas, there was a double bandh, with the National Democratic Front of Boroland also calling one in protest against the killing of one of its members earlier this week.
Across the state, the mood was that of anger against the CBI as well as the state police for what the people believe was a “poor handling” of the investigation into the murder of journalist and human rights activist.
Das was shot dead in broad daylight by suspected Sulfa men on May 17, 1996, just after he had picked up his five-year-old son from school in Chandmari.
“It is a murder of the people’s collective wish. Everyone knows who is guilty. The spontaneous response to the bandh call is reflective of the mass mood,” said a MASS activist.
Ratul Das, a trader sitting outside his closed shop in Ulubari, said what made the issue so emotional for the people was the fact that a “father was shot dead right in front of his son”.
The bandh was total in the city, with all offices and business establishments remaining closed and vehicles staying off the roads.
Rahul Hazarika, a businessman from Maligaon in the city, said though he was against bandhs, today’s issue made him change his mind.
“Paragda’s house was in Maligaon and I have seen him since I was a child. He was a brilliant and brave human rights activist and journalist. His murder came as a rude shock. I was extremely frustrated on July 28 when the verdict on Paragda’s murder was delivered. Today’s bandh is totally justified,” Hazarika said.
Every single shop in Maligaon remained closed.
Pallab Das, brother of the slain journalist, told The Telegraph that the people of Assam have been left with no other option but to resort to bandhs to express their anger and frustration against the failing system.
The bandh was also total in the Upper Assam districts and the two north bank districts of Lakhimpur and Dhemaji.
In Dibrugarh, too, government offices, banks and other financial institutions remained closed. Work was affected in the field headquarters of OIL in Duliajan. Eight persons were detained when they tried to enforce the bandh in some of the OIL offices.
However, work related to civic elections, scheduled tomorrow, went uninterrupted.
The 12-hour bandh called by the NDFB evoked complete response in the Bodo belt comprising Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang and Udalguri districts.
No work was done even in the BTC secretariat.
I have been pointing out regularly as to what creates Maoists.
This is the first stage.
When people see criminals escaping being punished, they first resort to bandhs to express their anguish.
If the system still does not care to change, they take up guns to become Maoists or Naxalites, call them what you want.
Then they do not care whether politicians, policemen or the general public comes in front of them.
Of course, their first choice of killing is the politician. But the cunning fox hides himself behind an impenetrable security curtain of policemen, so the policemen are killed.
Sommetimes. innocent people come in the way and they too suffer.
OUR BUREAU
July 30: An angry Assam today shut itself in during a “bandh with a difference” when people responded spontaneously to a strike call to protest CBI’s alleged inept probe that led to the acquittal of the lone surviving accused in the Parag Das murder case.
The Manab Adhikar Sangram Samity (MASS) called the bandh soon after the district and sessions court, Kamrup, acquitted Mridul Phukan on Tuesday after the CBI failed to provide enough evidence.
In the lower Assam areas, there was a double bandh, with the National Democratic Front of Boroland also calling one in protest against the killing of one of its members earlier this week.
Across the state, the mood was that of anger against the CBI as well as the state police for what the people believe was a “poor handling” of the investigation into the murder of journalist and human rights activist.
Das was shot dead in broad daylight by suspected Sulfa men on May 17, 1996, just after he had picked up his five-year-old son from school in Chandmari.
“It is a murder of the people’s collective wish. Everyone knows who is guilty. The spontaneous response to the bandh call is reflective of the mass mood,” said a MASS activist.
Ratul Das, a trader sitting outside his closed shop in Ulubari, said what made the issue so emotional for the people was the fact that a “father was shot dead right in front of his son”.
The bandh was total in the city, with all offices and business establishments remaining closed and vehicles staying off the roads.
Rahul Hazarika, a businessman from Maligaon in the city, said though he was against bandhs, today’s issue made him change his mind.
“Paragda’s house was in Maligaon and I have seen him since I was a child. He was a brilliant and brave human rights activist and journalist. His murder came as a rude shock. I was extremely frustrated on July 28 when the verdict on Paragda’s murder was delivered. Today’s bandh is totally justified,” Hazarika said.
Every single shop in Maligaon remained closed.
Pallab Das, brother of the slain journalist, told The Telegraph that the people of Assam have been left with no other option but to resort to bandhs to express their anger and frustration against the failing system.
The bandh was also total in the Upper Assam districts and the two north bank districts of Lakhimpur and Dhemaji.
In Dibrugarh, too, government offices, banks and other financial institutions remained closed. Work was affected in the field headquarters of OIL in Duliajan. Eight persons were detained when they tried to enforce the bandh in some of the OIL offices.
However, work related to civic elections, scheduled tomorrow, went uninterrupted.
The 12-hour bandh called by the NDFB evoked complete response in the Bodo belt comprising Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang and Udalguri districts.
No work was done even in the BTC secretariat.
I have been pointing out regularly as to what creates Maoists.
This is the first stage.
When people see criminals escaping being punished, they first resort to bandhs to express their anguish.
If the system still does not care to change, they take up guns to become Maoists or Naxalites, call them what you want.
Then they do not care whether politicians, policemen or the general public comes in front of them.
Of course, their first choice of killing is the politician. But the cunning fox hides himself behind an impenetrable security curtain of policemen, so the policemen are killed.
Sommetimes. innocent people come in the way and they too suffer.
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