Cricket match to heal ethnic clash wounds

From The Telegraph - Daylong fest for Rabhas & Garos at Mendipathar organised by BSF & East Garo Hills administration

E.M. JOSE

File picture of clash victims at a camp Shillong, Jan. 30: After the ethnic violence, involving the Garo and the Rabhas, it is now time for the wounds to heal through music, dance and sports. A friendly cricket match was organised today at Mendipathar in East Garo Hills of Meghalaya between a mixed group of Rabhas and Garos, thanks to an initiative of the BSF and the district administration. “There was a mixed group of Rabhas and Garos in both teams and the fight was between the two teams of Resubelpara and Bajengdoba,” BSF deputy inspector-general Gajendra Singh Chaudhary said over phone from Mendipathar. He said a few BSF personnel and officials of the district administration also took part in the match. In the friendly match witnessed by a large crowd, Bajengdoba lost by 10 runs while trying to chase Resubelpara’s score of 126 runs. Traditional music and dance was also performances on the occasion. “This was organised as part of the trauma reduction initiative of both the BSF and the district administration so that the affected people can lead a normal life,” the BSF official said. He said January 30 being Martyrs’ Day, the occasion provided an opportunity for both the Rabhas and the Garos to come together and forget their differences while recollecting the sacrifices of Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of peace. He said the BSF was also planning to bring in experts to provide counselling to the clash victims, who are yet to recover from the shock of the ethnic violence. East Garo Hills deputy commissioner Pravin Bakshi said sports and music have served to bridge the gap between people affected by the recent ethnic violence. “This, in fact, brings about unity and harmony, besides providing a healing touch to both the Rabhas and the Garos,” Bakshi said. “We hope that the peace and reconciliation efforts of the BSF and the district administration will help both the communities to live amicably like the pre-clash period,” he said. Bakshi said no untoward incident was reported today. There had been an attempt to torch a house belonging to a Garo family yesterday. He said members of the Rabha National Council and a group of journalists from Goalpara district of Assam visited Mendipathar as a confidence-building measure. Bakshi said in Assam, Rabhas were being motivated to return to the camps or villages in East Garo Hills as schools will re-open next month and the last phase of census will also start from February 8.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110131/jsp/northeast/story_13512431.jsp