The border village of Tengapani under Tinsukia district of Upper Assam on Friday appealed for reconstruction of its lifeline to the state — the Zubeen Garg bridge.
“The bridge was a labour of love. We had constructed it by cutting our bamboo shrubs and trees and had laboured for months. We had named it after Zubeen da to express our love and affection for him. But it was destroyed by Namsai police of Arunachal Pradesh. We understand that the police destroyed it to protect us from the coronavirus pandemic, so that no one can cross over to Arunachal Pradesh via the bridge over the Na Dihing. But there are other ways to prevent communication. The bridge needn’t have been damaged,” Bhagyawati Moran, a villager said on Friday.
Sources said the Arunachal Pradesh government wants movement of people through proper checkgates to minimise the risk of spread of coronavirus. They also said that the bridge has no official records in Arunachal Pradesh departments.
“This is not just a bridge. Our sentiments are connected with it. The Arunachal police destroyed it. We want our bridge reconstructed,” another villager said.
“We are angry and ashamed. Our sentiments and dreams were attached to the bridge. We urge the government for its reconstruction,” said Rupajyoti Moran, owner of the lone boat that was seen plying over the Na Dihing again, a day after the bridge was damaged on Thursday evening.
During a devastating flood in 1992, Na Dihing had changed its course, separating Tengapani from its mother state geographically and putting it on Assam’s border with Arunachal. Administratively, the village continues to be under Hahkhati gaon panchayat under Dhola development block of Sadiya Assembly constituency and Lakhimpur parliamentary constituency. It is located 27km from Doomdooma and 51km from Tinsukia town.
Since then, people had been communicating by just one boat. This was the first bridge to be built across it.
“The village has around hundred families, all from the Moran community. The villagers are very poor and dependent either on seasonal cultivation or daily wage work. The area is very rich in natural resources but the people are poor because of illiteracy, lack of commercial skills and the government’s lackadaisical attitude towards development of this belt. There are no hospitals, shops, higher educational institutions or concrete roads in the village. We have to cross the river to fetch whatever we need from Dirak, Kakopathar, Doomdooma or Tinsukia. A concrete bridge and a good road is a must,” said Manish Moran, another villager.
A top official at Sadiya police headquarters, under which Tengapani falls, said, “We did not know that the bridge was related to a sentiment. We will take the initiative to reconstruct the damaged part once the lockdown is lifted. There is no border issue. There is complete peace and harmony in the area.”
The 490-metre-long bamboo bridge was named after Zubeen in February this year and was to be inaugurated by him on February 29. The singer, however, suddenly fell ill and then went to Mumbai for treatment. The lockdown for Covid-19 was announced in March (it will continue till May 3) and before another date could be fixed and the bridge inaugurated, it was partly damaged on Thursday afternoon, allegedly by the Namsai police.
However, Namsai superintendent of police Ankit Kumar Singh denied that the police destroyed the bridge. “The gaon burhas (village heads) on the two ends of the bridge decided to destroy it. The police have no involvement in it. As for the reconstruction, both the village headmen can do it. There will be a detailed inquiry,” he told The Telegraph.
The residents had hoped that the bridge would provide everyday relief to 500 people, including schoolchildren, traders and patients.