*Distorted Statement* The statement made by the Barak Human Rights Protection Committee (BHRPC henceforth) in regard to the riot that came to pass in Beltola recently, raises disturbing questions of fairness in making statement by an organization. I chanced upon the entire statement in an on-line forum of the Asomiya community here in the USA (known as Assamonline) which was sent by one Waliullah Ahmed Laskar, the special representative of the BHRPC. A few direct quotes would, perhaps, carry the right flavour: "These speak a volume of the attitude of Assamese people towards the tribals — doctors raped a victim girl who was brought in Guwahati Medical College — more than 20 people were killed, 3 women raped, one girl stripped off, about 300 thousand injured of whom the condition of 10 is critical and 45 persons simply disappeared." I have no issue with accounts of the BHRPC's effort to highlight the human rights abuses by some weirdos — all that is very praiseworthy indeed. What is strange is the attempt to elevate the Adivasi protesters to the status of noble martyrs, slain at the altar of Beltola by the Asomiya 'demons'. To all intents and purposes, the BHRPC is trying to spew bile at the entire Asomiya community by way of reeling out some unsubstantiated statistics and facts. Would it not be obtuse and insensate to bunch the Asomiya people together and portray them as a pack of grossly outrageous criminals for an isolated incident as the one at Beltola? Therefore, this distorted reportage masquerading as 'facts' calculated solely to serve the BHRPC's cause, reeks of intellectual dishonesty. Pending full disclosure of facts, this blatantly skewed account amounts to no more than slanderous gossip against the Asomiya people. It is strange that the news of a man who was hacked to death for defying the bandh call given by the Adivasis did not draw sharp attention of the BHRPC. Without equivocation, the dehumanization of an Adivasi girl is a despicable act, who must have been innocent with no connection to the violence carried out by the Adivasi protesters on the locals of Beltola. But that is the ugly nature of a riot — no sanity but all fury. Whether the impetus is race, religion or poverty, riots essentially stem from extreme frustration. Finally, this would not have happened if someone had stuffed all the wily and self-serving politicians in a giant box and drowned it in the sea! Kamaljit Deka, Sugarland, Texas. _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
