Life affected by GSU strike

Shillong, April 30 (UNI) Life came to a standstill in the East Garo Hills district following a 10-hour strike called by the Garo Student's Union here today.

The GSU had called the strike to force the Congress-led government to begin fresh judicial probe into the September 30, 2005 police firing in Williamnagar.

The strike begun at 0600 hours.

Sources from the district said Williamnagar, the district headquarters of the East Garo Hills district wore a deserted look with almost all governmental and business establishments, financial and educational organisations remaining closed for the day.

However, there was no report of any untoward incident in the area.

The GSU, along with the opposition Nationalist Congress Party among others, demanded a fresh probe into the Williamnagar incident alleging that the report submitted by Justice(Retd) D N Baruah was ''incomplete'' and ''partial''.

Five people, including a woman, were killed and scores injured in the firing incident on September 30, 2005.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A Sangma had said that the NCP will approach the Centre to initiate a CBI probe, if the government failed to reconstitute a fresh inquiry into the Williamnagar incident before June.

Justice Baruah, who had probed into the Williamnagar incident, gave a clean chit to the district administration stating that the measures taken by the district administration were ''just and proper''.

UNI