Tura, March 22: The district administration of West Garo Hills today issued strict instructions to all state and central governments employees to attend their offices, including business establishments, in the wake of a "non-cooperation movement" called by the citizens' organisations in the Garo hills.
The organisations, under the banner of Solidarity Forum, have called a two-day agitation beginning tomorrow, seeking justice for the victims of Resubelparapolice firing in which three people were injured.
They have been demanding the transfer of superintendent of police, North Garo Hills, Dalton Marak, and termination of service of two policemen who were on duty during the firing incident earlier this month.
In an order issued today, the deputy commissioner of West Garo Hills, Pravin Bakshi, said: "The bandh will violate an order of Meghalaya High Court and invite penal provisions under Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Act of 2013."
Bakshi said all officers and staff, regular or contractual, belonging to the state and central governments, post offices and offices for essential services like BSNL and banks shall attend office without fail and report on time at 10am.
"If for some reason any government servant is unable to come to office it should be for the reason that the employee/officer has been physically stopped or intimidated, in which case an FIR will have to be lodged and action shall be taken," the high court order says. Bakshi said as the bandh is called by NGOs, it is clear that any law and order problem, threat for closure of shops and loss of revenue will be attributed to them and a civil suit for damages shall follow.
"Threat and intimidation meted out to any government servant shall be treated as per provisions of law. It is iterated that all government servants shall have to report for duty or else it would be seen as misconduct on their part."
Social media, including Facebook and WhatsApp, have been used for information about the agitation by some organisations from North Garo Hills under the banner of Solidarity Forum.
Some other organisations in Tura, the headquarters of the Garo Students' Union (GSU), led by Tengsak Momin, and the Federation for A'chik Freedom, among others, made it clear in a joint statement yesterday that the agitation will not be effective as several exams are in progress.
Following the statement, some other civil organisations, including victims of the firing and their relatives, today burnt effigies of Momin and Marak at Williamnagar in East Garo Hills and Resubelpara in North Garo Hills today.
"The Solidarity Forum is not fighting for us only; they are fighting for justice which is constitutional rights of the people. They are agitating so that such action will not be repeated in future," a joint statement issued by the victims said today.
