SHOCK , HORROR AND ANGER AT THE COWARDLY ATTACK ON OUR OFFICE AND MOLESTATION AND MANHANDLING OF OUR WOMEN STAFF The pre-meditated , pre-planned and cowardly attack on the office of the Deputy Commissioner , West Garo Hills , Tura and office of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) , Tura is very strongly condemned by the undersigned and all my staff . The assault on our DRDA personnel, criminal intimidation of our staff who had dutifully reported to the office for the service of the people , the verbal abuse , manhandling of even women staff is a horrifying and most reprehensible act on part of the proponents for the hills state movement . It is very disheartening to observe that now these vandals and criminals have decided that they shall attack and intimidate women and outrage their modesty , assault and threaten innocent persons for their objective . The cowardly act exposes the criminal intentions of the perpetrators to humiliate and torture citizens and women , government officials and staff on duty which cannot be tolerated . The intolerable act invites penal action of the relevant sections of the law for criminal trespass, criminal intimidation , threatening with dire consequences , assault and disruption of functioning of government servants and appropriate action will be taken . As Chairman of the District Level Committee for prevention of atrocities against women , I am taking suo moto notice of the assault on women employees and criminal intimidation of many to the extent that many of the women staff broke down and started crying . I am also told they have molested and assaulted another lady who had come to the town from some other place in a vehicle bearing Assam registration number .These acts has totally and irreversibly discredited the movement in the eyes of the public as the enforcers now have started cowardly attacks even on women . Senior citizens and religious leaders have called me and strongly condemned the act of assault and manhandling even of women . The attack was also communal in nature which is all the more worrying and shameful . Is this how a movement is run by assaulting women and forcing school children to participate in dangerous agitations ?Under the new amendments to criminal law even touching a woman without her consent is molestation . The undersigned has been camping in Shillong due to a series of state level meetings for approval and review of flagship programmes and schemes . I had been advising the volunteers of the hills state movement to have a dignified and democratic campaign but it seems to have taken a notorious turn . Women are being targeted and assaulted and they have the audacity to barge into government offices and criminally intimidate and harass even ladies . I see a purpose and vicious design by the organizers of these orchestrated attacks and condemn it in very strong words . The leaders and office bearers are directly responsible for the attacks . I appeal to the NGOs to stop this disastrous slide into chaos and inhuman behaviour as the silence of the women NGOS and Mothers Union will embolden them . I shall be having a meeting with my staff as soon as I come back and we shall decide the future course of action . In the mean time the ADM In-Charge has been asked to lodge FIR in the case under relevant sections of the law . We have taken a decision that in the future no permissions for any demonstrations , sit-ins , dharnas or NCM shall be given to the organizers of such heinous attacks on women and for all violence law will take its own course . The full and undivided responsibility for any violence will solely and totally vest in the leaders of this movement for any future agitation which has now taken a criminal turn . We have informed our higher authorities and plan to inform State Women’s Commission and National Women’s Commission. Pravin Bakshi , IAS Deputy commissioner West Garo Hills
Posted on: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 11:02:32 +0000