Difficult Days for the Valley...

Concern For Silchar wishes all its readers a very happy Eid. May God bring peace and prosperity to each one of us and shower his blessings on us.

However, during these festivities, a pall of gloom has descended over the entire valley due to two very unfortunate incidents. The rape of a college student and the brutal murder of four youths from Hailakandi in a train in West Bengal have dampened the festive spirit to a large extent.

The rape of a college goer that took place last week has come as a huge shock for all of us. Barak Valley may be immersed neck deep in various socio political malaises but we still firmly believe that we know how to respect our women. Reports of assaults on the fairer gender now keep coming from various parts of the country everyday. The molestation case in Guwahati was one such heinous incident. But we, the people of the valley, still somehow believed that something similar could never take place in our island of peace.

Unfortunately, that faith has now been shattered. A student was picked up in broad day light on a moving vehicle, gang raped by a group of monsters and then left to die on the street. Such stories are not unheard of in northern India, but in Silchar, such an occurrence has probably happened for the very first time.

What is more disturbing is the fact that the prime accused in the case is the son of a political leader. Did he think that he could get away with such a crime simply because he had the right connections? The common man of the valley must give a stern warning to these unscrupulous leaders, that any such act will not be tolerated by them no matter how big the connections are. If the administration tries to save the culprits the people will teach them a lesson.

The people of the valley have reacted to this extremely unfortunate incident very adversely. The anger of the common man on the street can be gauged from the road side as well as tea stall conversations.  Various protest meetings and agitations have forced the administration to swing into action and the culprits have been nabbed but the momentum of the protests has to be maintained so that they do not take advantage of the loopholes in the system and escape scot free. 

Mother of one of the deceased in Hailakandi, Photo Courtesy: Dainik Jugasankha

The killing of four youths from Hailakandi, during their train journey from Bengaluru to Guwahati, has also shocked the people. These young men, who had gone to the southern metropolis in search of a career, had probably never imagined that they would one day become victims of such mindless violence.   

Much like the murder of Silchar youth Pritam Bhattacharjee last month during a train journey, this new episode has again raised serious questions about the safety of railway passengers travelling out of and into north eastern India. When asked about the Pritam murder case, Railway Minister Mukul Roy had dismissed the case as a state subject, as the incident had taken place in Bihar. But this time, the violence has taken place in West Bengal, which is ruled by Roy’s own party, the Trinamool Congress. What explanation will the minister give this time?

The Railways as well as the state administration must come together to ensure that the perpetrators of this crime are arrested and given exemplary punishment. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoin should also take this issue up seriously with both the centre as well as the West Bengal government. During the Pritam murder case, the attitude of the Tarun Gogoi government was extremely partisan and step motherly. Let us hope this time that Gogoi will make amends for his earlier mistakes.