ES Reporter

ITANAGAR, Mar 3: Another family of a victim of firing has rejected compensation. This is second in the line after Risso Tari’s family, who earlier declined government compensation.
The aggrieved family of the 18-year-old college student, Biki Ruja on Sunday declined the compensation offered by the state government and demanded handing over of the security personnel responsible for Ruja's death to them, saying “they will punish the perpetrators as per Nyishi customary law.”
A fourth-semester student of Dera Natung government college, Biki Ruja fell to security personnel’s bullet near circuit house Itanagar while protesting outside Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s residence following unrest sparked by PRC issue on February 24 afternoon.
"We strongly condemn the district administration for failing to deal with protesters peacefully and use of excessive police force. It is absolutely inhuman to issue shooting order. Our deepest condolences to those families who lost their loved ones in the protest," said Biki Welfare Society (BWS), President, Biki Tamo while addressing media persons here at Press Club.
The society also called to discard the file recommended by the JHPC, resignation of CM, DyCM and Chairman, JHPC including constitution of special investigation team headed by a High Court retired judge to probe the whole incident.
Dubbing police action on protesters as “cold-blooded murder”, Tamo questioned “Is the government now trying to buy and bury the sentiments of the deceased family by providing money?”
He also said that peaceful protests to voice grievances is among the rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution which cannot be denied by any government.
“What was the need for security personnel to open fire? Why were water cannon or other crowd control measures not used to contain agitators?” he said while also referring to the Home Minister’s statement that he didn’t issue the shooting order.
Also pointing at the district administration’s negligence for the tragedy, Tamo sought immediate termination of Deputy Commissioner, Capital Complex, and the Superintendent of Police from their posts for their alleged failure to handle the situation peacefully.
“Merely announcing compensation isn't a solution and won't give justice to my brother nor fill the vacuum in our family created by my brother’s demise until the security personnel involved in the shooting case is brought to justice,” lamented the pained brother of deceased, Biki Talom. “There were gunshots but I never thought the victim would be my brother,” he rued.
The family members also claimed that no one from the government has so far contacted them apart from a third party who came to seek the account number of his father to deposit the compensation money.
The society further threatened that failure to hand over the security personnel responsible for Ruja's death within the given deadline may invite rigorous protests.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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