Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 5 Nov: The families of Everester Tapi Mra and his assistant Niku Dao are sitting in protest at the Tennis Court, IG Park here for the past 6 days.
Both families had started the indefinite sit-in protest since Monday evening, demanding the government to bring back Mra and Dao alive or dead.
This development has taken place after the failure of the search and rescue operation launched by the East Kameng district administration. Later, in October, a separate team comprising Mra’s younger brother Dr. Tadi Mra and his brother-in-law Tanyang Bate along with three mountaineers Taru Hai, Tagit Sorang and Tana Lui had brought back the belongings of Mra and Dao from Mt. Khyari Satam.
The families stated that “unless a written commitment or assurance comes from the government’s side, the protest will continue.”
The families demand constituting a high-level committee to investigate the role of East Kameng DC during the earlier S&R operation. Continuing with their earlier demand, they have sought suspension of the DC for a free and fair investigation. They also demanded withholding the transfer order of the DC till completion of the investigation.
They further demanded continuing the S&R mission until the missing duo is found alive or dead.
Meanwhile, the Save Arunachal Save Indigenous (SASI) has decided to stage a protest rally in solidarity with the families of Mra and Dao on 7 November next, from Akashdeep to Tennis Court here.
Similarly, the Kojum Welfare Society and the Siyom Nacho Limekang-Taksing along with the family of Mra will also be participating in a peaceful protest rally in Daporijo on the same day.
Presently, Mra’s mother Yasu Mra, wife Juna Mra, his two sisters Yatok Mra Nilo and Yatik Mra and two younger brothers are staging a protest at the Tennis Court.
Dao’s younger brother Kale Dao and his elder sister were also protesting however, owing to ill- health Dao’s sister could not continue.
On Saturday, the members of the Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society met both families of the missing mountaineers. The Society had also appealed to the government to listen to the grievances of the families.
Mra along with seven porters left to climb Khyarii Satam on 27 July last from Sario-Saria – a Puroik village in Sawa circle of East Kameng district. Mra and his assistant Dao later went missing on 17 August.
