Two hurt as police foil job aspirants’ stir

SHILLONG, JAN 15: A twenty-six year old qualified grade IV candidate who is a job aspirant Trikson Nongsiej was admitted in Woodland hospital and a former Civil Society Women Organisation (CSWO) member and the agitators’ supporter Christabel Wanniang was admitted in Shillong Civil hospital with injuries after a scuffle with the police during the protest staged by the Association of Qualified Grade IV Candidates (AQGC) on Tuesday.

According to the agitators Nongsiej’s spine has moved away from its original place causing pain even as to the nature of injury to Wanniang was yet to be confirmed.

AQGC president Bantei Kurbah said, “Trikshon  Nongsiej (26) was rush to the hospital as he was injured from his spine after being rough-up by police.”

Around eighty grade IV candidates who had passed their examination but are yet to get appointment in the state government were rounded up by the police and bundled in three buses and taken to Mawngap after they staged a protest demanding appointment from the government.

Of the 331 candidates who passed the District Selection Committee (DSC) examination only 122 of them have so far been given appointment, the rest are still waiting to be appointed. The aggrieved candidates who are yet to be absorbed have been agitating demanding appointment from the government.

East Khasi hills SP M Kharkhrang told this website that the agitators, eighty of them, were detained for violating section 144 CrPC and were taken to Mawngap.”

The agitating grade IV candidates had asked for the permission to stage the protest from the East Khasi district magistrate. However, their request was turn down but the aspirants went ahead and stage with their agitation.

It is reported that initially the sit-in protest was peaceful, but as soon as Irene Hujon, former Civil Society Women Organisation (CSWO) member and her follower Christabel Wanniang came and join the protest things went awry. It is said that Hujon entered into a verbal duel with police women and this instigated the police to react and bundled all of them in a waiting bus.

However late in the evening the police let of them free, but the agitators refused to move out of Mawngap demanding that the government must first give a written assurance that all of those who have been deprived of job will be given appointment.

Kurbah said, “Unless the government gives a written assurance, we are not going away even if the police have left as off.” A magistrate was trying to convince them to go home but with little success.

Meantime East Khasi SP M Kharkhrang has said that the agitators were given enough time by the magistrate to call off their agitation and move out of the premises. He claims that because of the model code of conduct that has come into force as the Meghalaya assembly election is slated for February 23 such gathering could not be allowed.

Kharkhrang said in a sms sent to media persons, “Police used minimum force to get the agitators inside the bus.” He appealed that people and the media should not be misled by “vested interest.”

(Meanwhile in a late night development, the AQGC president Bantei Kurbah told this reporter the grade IV agitating candidates have decided to go back home after an assurance from the government that the East Khasi hills deputy commissioner will be giving a written assurance to them that advertisement to the grade IV post will be stopped till all the 209 candidates who had passed the DSC examination held in 2011 are accommodated in the government.

Kurbah said, “On Wednesday the DC will be giving us in writing of the government assurance in front of the media and ngos. Therefore, we have decided to call off the agitation and wait for tomorrow.”)– By Our Reporter