AYA Organised Mass Peace Rally at Ziro

DC condemned for fleeing the scene

-By G. Tallo

Ziro, May 3, 2010

The call of Apatani Youth Association (AYA) for mass peace rally to demand immediate arrest of Murderer of late Habung Chunya and restoration of deterioting law and order situation in Hapoli and Old Ziro townships evoked spontaneous public response. People from all walks of life participated the rally in large way. One never see this scale of mass participation to the call of the youth or the student organisations in Ziro, atleast in recent past.

As one participant has said, the general public of Ziro saw this rally as a platform to vent their discontent and frustration of inaction of District Administration in tackling law and order problem. For past few years crime rate has been rising in and around Ziro and the District Administration were found wanting in promptness to nab the perpetrators of  crime.

It should be mentioned here that late Ms Habung Chunya was found murdered at her resident in Old Ziro on the night of 6th April. It is one month now but no headway has been made to arrest the murder.

People thronged the rally at Subansiri Stadium and took out a long procession from there through Old Medical Colony and Pai Gate to Deputy Commissioner Office, where AYA was to submit memorandum to Deputy Commissioner, Ziro. Throughout the rally process the participants conduct themselves well and it was peaceful.

There was a moment of anxiety soon after they had arrived the DC office complex. Absence of DC in the station infuriated the assembled mass. They condemned the DC Ziro for fleeing the scene everytime there was major law and order problem. They recounted few such occassions: first, a young boy was murdered by his friends in January 2008 and the deceased was buried inside Subansiri Stadium; second, seven years old boy was kidnapped and murdered last year, his relatives and friends with public support took out procession for immediate arrest of culprit in two occassions; and this time. Every time, she had left the station a day before or in the morning to avoid the ordeal. The assembled mass almost turn into an unruly mob before few elderly people, who took part in the rally, come forward to subside the irate public.

It could have been just a co-incidental that she had to leave the station: may not be intentional. Whatever be the case, the message from the rally was loud and clear: people living in Ziro want to live in peace and freedom from fear.