Dawn-to-dusk shutdown in Garo hills begins

Meghalaya,Aug 4: A dawn-to-dusk shutdown called by the Meghalaya's Garo Students Union (GSU) has started in three Garo Hills districts .

The failure of the government to punish ,the guilty of the September 30, 2005 police firing in which nine persons were killed ,is the focus of the shutdown call.

The Garo Students Union has said that if their demands are not met, they would intensify their agitation.

The GSU has been demanding an action against the guilty officials who were involved in the firing, which had taken place in 2005, killing nine civilians, mostly students.

Besides, they are also pressurizing the government on declaring September 30 as a state holiday, as a mark of respect to the victims.

Two separate inquiries over the twin firing incidents at Tura and Williamnagar had been instituted by the then Congress Government. While one report had put the blame on the rioting students, the other pinpointed the "high-handedness" on part of some officials who had used force to quell the revolt.

ANI