First time in history of Assam a murderer has been punished for massacring Muslims.
- Aman Wadud
SINCE 1983 Assam has seen
spate of massacre of minorities. The mass violence against Muslims and Adivasis
has become cyclic in Assam. The successive government has always been
indifferent towards suffering and slaughter of minorities. On 14th
February , 1983 around 500 Muslims were massacred in Chaolkhuwa, 4 days later
Independent India saw its most brutal massacre. On 18th February,1983
more than 3000 Indian Muslims, mostly women and children were slaughtered in
just six hours. The victims were branded as Bangladeshis and murdered. 688
cases were filed in connection with the Nellie massacre; the Police
submitted
charge sheets in only 310. The remaining 378 cases were closed after a final
report said there was no evidence against those accused. Butall cases were
dropped when the Asom Gana Parishad came to power under the Chief Ministership
of Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. Hence not even a single perpetrators were punished
for murdering thousands of Muslims. Following the massacre a one member Tiwary
Commission
was constituted by the then Congress government to investigate the
cause of massacre. The Commission submitted 600 pages report, but no government
had the audacity to make the report public.
Post Nellie Assam saw chain of targeted violence
in the now BTAD area. In 1993 more than 100 Muslims were massacred in
Kokrajhar, the survivors are still in relief camps. Majority of the victims has
been denied any compensation whatsoever. A year later around 100 Muslims was
massacred in Bashbari, now in Baksa District. In 1996 in the districts of
Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon more than 200 Adivasis were
massacred and around 2
lakhs were displaced, many victims are still suffering in relief camps.
In 1998
Around 50 Adivasis were killed, leaving around 80000 homeless. In 2008 Muslims
were targeted again, this time in Udalguri around 70 innocent Muslims were
massacred. In 2012 in the districts of Kokrajhar and Chirang more than 100
Muslims were killed and more than five lakhs were left homeless. The targeted
violence did not stop there. On 1st May, 2014, 7 Muslims were gunned
down by NDFB terrorist at Balapara under Gossaigaon Police Station, Kokrajhar.
On 2nd May 2014 in a small village NK Khagrabari, forest guards and NDFB terrorist mercilessly
slaughtered 38 innocents Muslims, 22 were children. On 7th May,
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi declared that the case will be investigated by
National Investigation Agency, but the case was handed over to NIA after 83
days.. In December 2014 around 70 Adivasis were again murdered all over Assam
on the same day.
In this long list of targeted violence
against Muslims and Adivasis one thing is common- not even a single perpetrators were punished
in any case of mass murder except one. The special NIA court, Guwahati, on 8th
July , 2016, sentenced Pradip Brahma for life imprisonment in the Balapara mass
murder case.
The FIR filed by Md. Sayed Ali and two others alleged that 20-25
Bodo miscreants equipped with sophisticated arms entered the house of Batchu
Saikh and complainant Md Sayed Ali and resorted to indiscriminate firing
killing seven persons. The victims were mainly women and children. Four women,
two children and one male became victims of unprovoked targeted killing. The
NIA filed charge sheet against Pradip Brahma under section 120B , 121, 121A,
302, 307, 386 r/w Sec 34 of IPC and Sec 16, 17, 18 and 20 of UA (P) Act. The
Special NIA Court, Guwahati set a precedent on 8th July 2016 by
convicting Pradip Brahma to life imprisonment. This is the first time in
history of Assam that murderer of mass violence has been punished for killing
Muslims.
Before this conviction all
murderers right from Chalokhuwa and Nellie massacre had an absolute impunity.
Every time Muslims and Adivasis became victims of massacre , the perpetrators
were let-off. This impunity only encouraged another massacre, that’s how mass
violence became cyclic in Assam. Had murderers of Nellie been punished, had due
process of law been followed, hundreds of innocent people would not have been
killed with such impunity. In the Balapara massacre case the victims bravely
deposed before the court against the terrorist. They are the real heroes of
this unprecedented judgement, hope their tribe grows.
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