[Pisi Zauing]
MARGHERITA, 24 Sep: The Singpho Women Organisation [India], in collaboration with the Singpho National Council, the Singpho Development Society, the All Tai Khamti Singpho Student’s Union, the Pan Singpho Students Union, the Singpho Youth Organisation, and the Miao Singpho Ramma Hpung, among others, staged a mammoth rally in Margherita, Assam, on 23 September to protest the murder of Gamrin Makat, a student of St Paul’s School in Udaipur-4 Mile in Margherita subdivision of Assam’s Tinsukia district.
Even 53 days after the gruesome, cold-blooded murder of Gamrin Makat, no judicious action has yet been initiated against the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
Thousands of Singphos from Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, supported by fellow tribal people,participated in the rally amid the scorching heat to protest the murder, and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation [CBI] probe into the murder.
Gumrin Makat, son of Chantret Makat and Jaongko Makat, of Khumchai village, was found hanging at around 5:30 am on 1 August in the hostel verandah of St Paul’s School, while eight other hostellers were present in the hostel.
Local residents claimed that the warden was absent, and only the deceased, the cook, and the eight other hostellers were in the hostel when the incident occurred.
Allegedly, the cook, identified as Ganga Bahadur Limbu, and a few other students were fully under the influence of liquor in the hostel when the incident occurred.
St Paul’s, an English medium private school, is run by one Bipul Lotha. The school doesn’t provide standard food and accommodation, and has no CCTV camera, security guard and other basic amenities.
The protesters, shouting slogans, marched to the office of the Margherita sub- divisional officer (SDO) on Monday to submit a letter to Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma, but the SDO,despite having been informed, was absent from the office.
This led to the situation almost going out of control. However, after a long wait, the SDO arrived and accepted the letter addressed to the CM.
The letter, signed by the leaders of various organisations, stated that the nature of the death of the boy was mysterious, and that the cook, as well as the other hostellers, might be involved in the death.
The photographs and video clips sent to the CM clearly show that the mouth, hands and legs of the deceased were tied behind him and it was not possible for the boy to hang himself or call for any help.
The letter to the Assam chief minister clearly stated that “the death being a case of cold-blooded murder stands strong and the insistence made by Assam Police that it is a case of suicide has no locus standi.”
“The public suspects ragging, bullying, mental harassment and physical torture been incited upon the poor boy. The statements given by the remaining hostellers are not satisfactory and lack genuineness. Since the warden was absent during the incident, it is suspected that the cook is directly involved,” the letter read, adding that “the Assam Police should stop insisting on painting the murder as a case of suicide, but rather join the dots properly and find answers to contentious questions and deliver a judicious conclusion.”
Besides demanding handing over the case to the CBI,the organisations demanded “open publication of the postmortem report to ensure transparency, besides the evidences and statements recorded.”
The organisations further demanded stringent punishment for all the perpetrators of the murder, and for adequate compensation to the parents of late Gamrin Makat, who was an only son.
The letter also demanded reprimanding the Tinsukia deputy commissioner, the Margherita sub-divisional officer (civil), and the Lekhapani PS OC “for their apathy and negligence towards the death of a tribal student.”
It is to be noted that, on the day of the incident, the school authorities failed to share details like the exact number of occupants of the hostel, the recorded statements of the adult and minor suspects, including the principal, the cook, etc, and the material evidence found at the site of the incident has created a strong suspicion and distrust and has brought to light their negligent attitude.
“Further, the hurry in labelling this incident as suicide by the authorities is not at all acceptable, and hence the public suspect that it was a planned murder staged as suicide,” the organisations said.
Replying to The Arunachal Times, SWO general secretary Pinna Kitnal Singpho informed that if the Assam chief minister fails to address the issue at the earliest, “other forms of democratic movement will be launched.”
SWO president Pisilu Singpho extended gratefulness to all organisations and their members for actively participating and making the rally a success. She expressed hope that “the contributions made by the Singphos, including fellow tribals from both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, will certainly bear fruits.”
