Dipayan Chakraborty writes to CM, Compares Hindu-Bengali situation in Meghalaya with the plight of Kashmiri Pandits; Pads it up with historical research

The Meghalaya mayhem has seen reactions from political leaders from Barak Valley. Silchar MLA Dipayan Chakraborty has joined the bandwagon alongside Patharkandi MLA Krishnendu Paul, South Karimganj MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purakayastha and Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev among others.

In a letter addressed to the chief minister of Assam, Chakraborty highlighted the chronology of violence in the hilly state of Meghalaya since its separation from Assam. Just after it got its statehood in 1979, the BJP MLA said, Meghalaya started its xenophobic treatment and violence against the non-tribal brethren living in the state.

In Chakraborty’s letter, he highlighted the past and present violence, especially to the Bengalis living in the neighbouring state. Starting from 1979, the BJP MLA has highlighted the years of agitation and violence in 1987, 1990 and 1992. He has also mentioned the killings of various Bengali businessmen and the public in the name of “ethnic cleansing” in the 2000s. This letter has also brought attention to the different riots and collection of “taxes” in an illegal manner by the Khasis.

Chakraborty wrote, “The treatment meted out to the non-tribal Hindus in Meghalaya has appropriated a scale and impact large enough to be considered equivocal to the plight of Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir, however, on the national level and at the state level as well, there has been no effort to highlight or weed out the systemic xenophobic hate-mongering.”

Highlighting the chronology of violence from 1979, he wrote, “Soon after the separation of the state of Meghalaya from the state of then Assam, and the instatement of the Article 371 and the 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, xenophobic violence against the non-tribal Hindu population had begun. Shoot-at-sight orders had to be imposed to curb the violence against Hindus which left 1 dead and 70 injured from the Hindu community. Following that on October 22nd of 1979, another bout of violence escalated because of the desecration of an idol of Goddess Kali by a local youth. Hindu families were driven out of their houses in hundreds, and forced to live in community spaces lacking proper food or shelter. Official records of the incident note a death toll of 50, however, in all likelihood, the figures are likely to be in the hundreds”.

Subsequently about 1987, the letter highlighted, “A brawl among college kids was again made ground for the expression of xenophobic sentiments against non-tribal Hindus in Shillong. The goal of the agitators on this occasion, just like the previous instances, was the ethnic cleansing of Hindus from the state and destruction of their homes, properties and businesses. The heinous acts of rape and desecration done to Mrs. Gauri Dey has remained a black mark on the history of Meghalaya”.

About the 1992 riots, which the B.N. Sharma Commission Report said, “the effects of the 1992 riots were significant enough to cause permanent changes in demographic profile even one and a half decades later”, the MLA’s letter said, “1992 Violence against the Hindus caused over 150 deaths as part of the ethnic cleansing pogrom organised by the KSU. The bloodshed that befell during the Durga Puja season, was incomprehensible”.

The Silchar MLA has also alleged that no one has been brought to justice for their crimes against the Hindu community. The goal behind this violence, he believes is “ethnic cleansing” and the instance of such case goes upto to 3000, according to the letter addressed to CM Himanta Bishwa Saram on November 4.