[Assam] Sentinel Letter

[Ram Sarangapani]

*Distorted Statement*
The statement made by the Barak Human Rights Protection Committee (BHRPC
henceforth) in regard to the riot that came to pass in Beltola recently,
raises disturbing questions of fairness in making statement by an
organization. I chanced upon the entire statement in an on-line forum of the
Asomiya community here in the USA (known as Assamonline) which was sent by
one Waliullah Ahmed Laskar, the special representative of the BHRPC. A few
direct quotes would, perhaps, carry the right flavour: "These speak a volume
of the attitude of Assamese people towards the tribals — doctors raped a
victim girl who was brought in Guwahati Medical College — more than 20
people were killed, 3 women raped, one girl stripped off, about 300 thousand
injured of whom the condition of 10 is critical and 45 persons simply
disappeared."
I have no issue with accounts of the BHRPC's effort to highlight the human
rights abuses by some weirdos — all that is very praiseworthy indeed. What
is strange is the attempt to elevate the Adivasi protesters to the status of
noble martyrs, slain at the altar of Beltola by the Asomiya 'demons'. To all
intents and purposes, the BHRPC is trying to spew bile at the entire Asomiya
community by way of reeling out some unsubstantiated statistics and facts.
Would it not be obtuse and insensate to bunch the Asomiya people together
and portray them as a pack of grossly outrageous criminals for an isolated
incident as the one at Beltola? Therefore, this distorted reportage
masquerading as 'facts' calculated solely to serve the BHRPC's cause, reeks
of intellectual dishonesty. Pending full disclosure of facts, this blatantly
skewed account amounts to no more than slanderous gossip against the Asomiya
people. It is strange that the news of a man who was hacked to death for
defying the bandh call given by the Adivasis did not draw sharp attention of
the BHRPC.
Without equivocation, the dehumanization of an Adivasi girl is a despicable
act, who must have been innocent with no connection to the violence carried
out by the Adivasi protesters on the locals of Beltola. But that is the ugly
nature of a riot — no sanity but all fury. Whether the impetus is race,
religion or poverty, riots essentially stem from extreme frustration.
Finally, this would not have happened if someone had stuffed all the wily
and self-serving politicians in a giant box and drowned it in the sea!
Kamaljit Deka,
Sugarland, Texas.