The history of the Northeast is the history of romantic insurgencies and pyrrhic wars, devastating blasts and brutal carnages, internecine squabbles and ethnic clashes, political chicanery and myopic governance, and what have you. It is also the history of atrocities. By the agents of the State.
When Naga women were raped on church pulpits by the sacrosanct Indian forces, it was something that never coalesced into the form of news. But these days some news do trickle out.
Like that of a gutsy girl in Haflong who took on a group of Army jawans, sometime in the last week of July.
Rali Faihriem owns a branded garment shop in the middle of Halflong town. Lancenaik Gurvinder Singh of the 8th Battalion of the Sikh Regiment visited the shop, in combat dress with arms, on Wednesday afternoon to buy innerwear. When the girl was showing him the stock available at her shop, the jawan allegedly made some advances. Rali then pulled him out of the shop and stoned him in front of everyone.
The incident was captured on a cellphone camera by one Diganta Das, a stringer with NDTV. The Army has ordered an inquiry into the incident after Rali filed an FIR.
The chances are nine out of ten that you didn't hear or read about this. You didn't on NDTV because it was not blown up. You didn't on the other channels because no one followed it up. In India, those of the Army are holy cows. You don't report Army atrocities as you report the same about terrorists, militants, insurgents.
The story was followed up in a few newspapers. Very balanced reporting, you know. All you had was the defence spokesman Rajesh Kalia's version about the Army ordering an inquiry into the incident.The copies in the Telegraph, the Times of India and the Daily News & Analysis are littered with the words "allegedly" and "allegation". Extremely balanced, agree?
There were no reactions from the girl. Or anyone else. Very balanced reporting indeed.
It is a different thing that we never get to know what happens to these Army inquiries. Something to do with official secrets and all? Ok, I will let that pass and ask something else: how long are we going to sweep news about Army atrocities under the carpet? You still can do or write something if the perpetrators are paramilitary forces or policemen. But Armymen? Nah.
[You can read the NDTV story here: http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/assams_joan_of_arc_girl_beats_army_jawan.php, though you might think the 'Joan of Arc' headline was taking colour copies a bit too far.]
