Mukroh turned down ex-gratia payment from Assam Govt

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 27, 2022

The Dorbar Shnong Mukroh, West Jaintia Hills District turned down the offer of ex-gratia payment of Rs. 5 lakhs from the Assam Govt for the family members of the five persons killed by a team of forest and police personnel of Assam on 22nd of this month at Lumpalang, Mukroh about 12 kilometres from Moikoilum, West Karbi Anglong District.

Informing this media persons in Jowai on Saturday, Waheh Shnong of Mukroh Hamboide Sumer said that the decision to turned down the ex-gratia was taken in consultation with the family members concerned.

On the allegation that the forest guard from Assam was killed by the Pnar people, Sumer said the forest guard was unfortunately killed due to firing by a team of forest and police personnel of Assam while adding that Pnar people were not armed with any weapons

On the decision of erection of Statue in memory of the forest guard by Assam in the place of occurrence, the Waheh Shnong of Mukroh said that they will oppose tooth and nails any such move from Assam as it will be grave insult to the people of the village and the State.

Sumer apprised that the people of Mukroh Village are subjected to numerous harassment and atrocities from the Forest personnel of Assam who are posted at the Forest office illegally established in Khlieh Sanaro, Mukroh. He elaborated that the people are unnecessarily harassed during cleaning up lands for growing broomsticks or felling of trees for firewood or while they carried straws for constructing thatched houses. He also added that the young children who rears cows and went for fishing are not spare by the Assam authority and also take them to Jrikyndeng.

The Waheh Shnong of Mukroh clarified that Mukroh is part and parcel of West Jaintia Hills District, Meghalaya since time immemorial and the village does not fall within the ambit of Block-I and they have documents and maps which authenticated that Mukroh is within Meghalaya under Nartiang PS and not Jrikyndeng PS, Assam.

Sumer recalled the brutal killing of six persons by Karbi militants in 2003 and now another five persons are killed by team of forest and police personnel of Assam after 19 years.