Quiet vigil on Ghose’s 38th birthday

MUMBAI, December 7: Activists from Assam held a meeting today to mobilise support from Mumbaikars for their campaign to know the fate of so...

MUMBAI, December 7: Activists from Assam held a meeting today to mobilise support from Mumbaikars for their campaign to know the fate of social activist Sanjay Ghose who was abducted by the militants group ULFA in July this year.

The meeting, organised at Horniman Circle under the banner "Friends of Sanjoy Ghose", was attended by his friends and relatives who called upon the Indian government to seek Ghose’s early release from the militant outfit. Sumita Ghose, Sanjoy’s wife was however not present at the meeting called on his 38th birthday.

Jennifer Liang, who worked with Ghose on a "riverbank erosion" project undertaken by their non-governmental organisation (NGO) Avard NE at Majuli island in Brahmaputra, said the abduction was an attempt to destroy the NGO-movement in the country with the government and state agencies failing to take steps against the outfit.

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This was the first meeting held in Mumbai to press for Ghose’s (fondly called Joy) release. The militants have been making conflicting statements about his well-being and his whereabouts.

Ashok Rao, Ghose’s uncle said the growth of the Avard NE and its subsequent acceptance by the Majuli locals "hit the ULFA below the belt." "The ULFA felt it was being sidelined," he added. Affirming there was no direct protest from ULFA, Liang said they displayed posters against the AVARD NE in May stating "the NGO was trying to create dependence among the locals."

AVARD NE activists appealed to Mumbaikars to speak out against all terrorist groups and write in to the chief minister of Assam and demand reports of the investigations carried out by the Assam police.

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