Taking a firm stand against the targeted violence against Muslims in Assam on humanitarian grounds, a local NGO ‘Social Initiative for Legal Remedies (SILR)’, expressed its dissent to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on mass killings in the state and gross violation of human rights. In its letter to NHRC, SILR questioned: “How can Bodos armed with illegal heavy weapons roaming freely creating mayhem, massacring innocent people with impunity right under the nose of Election Commission of India mandated to provide safety & security to voters to vote freely & fearlessly?” – Editor
Letter
Before the Chairman,
Hon’ble National Human Rights Commission,
New Delhi
Respected Sir,
Most respectfully we submit before the Hon’ble NHRC that brazen massacre & continuous targeted violence against the Muslim community in Assam in the name of Bangladeshi (euphemism for Bengali Speaking locals) is going on for decades together is a cause of serious concern to all right thinking human beings. 2012 ethnic cleansing had left 105 Muslim dead (official count) & lakhs displaced. The official death toll in the indiscriminate massacre of 1’t & 2nd May 2014 (mostly women & children) is 34 while lakhs of Muslims have again been driven out of dozens of villages. And the excuse for killing innocent men, women & children is, “not voting for the Bodo Candidate” in the polling conducted on Apr 24, 2014 as dictated a day before. This in itself is proof that they are legitimate Indian citizens of Bengali origin and not illegal migrants. The Election Commission should take the blame for failing to protect the lives & properties of the voters because Iaw & order is directly under its control. Continuous post-poll violence at such large scale reflects poorly on the State agencies.
How can Bodos armed with illegal heavy weapons roaming freely creating mayhem, massacring innocent people with impunity right under the nose of Election Commission of India mandated to provide safety & security to voters to vote freely & fearlessly?
We urge Hon’ble NHRC to take cognisance of this flagrant violation of Human Rights and take on record all the evidence available in Electronic & Print Media and proceed against the culprits.
Fufther we request the Hon’ble NHRC to ensure that:
– 1. The culprits are arrested & charged under appropriate sections of massacre, arson, treason against the State, intimidation of voters etc.
– 2. Charges are not diluted and evidence is not tampered/ destroyed by the Assam State administration when the law & Order authority returns to it after the elections are over.
– 3. Adequate compensation is paid immediately to the victims, and they are properly rehabilitated.
– 4. The Bodos are disarmed effectively, and the victims are armed with licenced weapons on the lines of J& K.
Pray the NHRC intimate us about the action taken.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Major (Retd.) SGM Quadri
General Secretary
Social Initiative for Legal Remedies
10-3-121/D Mehdipatnam X Roads, Hyderabad, 500028 – AP
