Dear Editor,
November 18, 2017, my father late Ngurang Pinch was reported dead under mysterious circumstances. It’s been more than a year; my family still awaits answers let alone justice. With only two weeks to go for elections, I am asking his friends and colleagues, the leaders of my state, who will give us answers for my father’s mysterious death? Have you forgotten your dead friend already? In your pursuit of power and money, have you erased his name and contribution to Arunachal society already? What if it was your family, instead of his today? I know he would have helped, I know.
Papa was a social worker who later turned politician from the 14th Doimukh constituency, all of us are aware of his work, notably his persistence to resolve the long-pending Arunachal-Assam boundary issue.
Many elders who meet me today, remind me of his eloquence and his in-depth knowledge of the said border conflict, where many local villagers from both sides of the state often face the wrath of the states’ unwillingness to solve the issue. Consequences of what we see and experience even today, often violent.
I ask the candidates contesting from the 14th Doimukh today and to the locals of the area, don’t we have the right to know what happened to him? As a senior leader of the community, who gave his entire life to the public, is it fair that we forget to ask who killed him and why today? With the wind of political parties and their candidature nominations, we have forgotten to talk about the lawlessness and the culture of impunity in our state once again. We have forgotten to ask about the killers of Ojing Tayeng, Arun Modi and my father as well. And of course not to forget the three young men killed by the state during the PRC episode.
But honestly, we are to be blamed and not the politicians. We make the election all about the leaders, we put them on a pedestal as if they are our kings. Elections are and should be about us-our issues, our grievances, and our rights. It is us, who ‘sell’ ourselves, it is us who indulge in immoral transactions, every five years-for jobs, lands or tenders and pledge to zip our lips. It is indeed our complacent attitude and our greed that shoots up our politicians’ vanity. Our five-year contract comes at a heavy cost too often, sometimes even our dignity.
Today, as his daughter, I ask my father’s friends, his colleagues and his well-wishers of Arunachal, must we not raise questions about his mysterious death this election? Don’t the family deserve an answer? But most importantly I ask the MP candidates of the West PC, and the candidates of the 14th Doimukh MLA, what will you do about such unresolved cases in our states? Is anyone above law and order?
As a helpless daughter I ask you, will you deliver justice for my father? If not, I will give up on my state’s leadership. I hope I don’t.
Sincerely,
Ngurang Reena,
D/o of late Ngurang Pinch