The Gorkhas' own "Nirbhaya".

Tragedy struck the Gorkha community of North Bengal on the 21st of August as a PIG named Mohammad Abbas [pictured above hiding his face] brutally murdered a 15 year old Gorkha girl after attempting to rape her. The Gorkha community has been understandably outraged by the incident and have shown solidarity to the victim and her family. Such disgusting and barbaric acts are not common in the peaceful Darjeeling hills and the entire community is shocked as they mourn the loss of an innocent young girl. The PIG is in police custody due to swift action by the police and awaits his punishment, with the entire Gorkha community understandably demanding the death penalty.

On the eve of 21st of August, our innocent victim was returning from school. The details of the case still remain fuzzy but it seems that our victim was being catcalled and eve-teased by the PIG as she was trying to rush back home. 

As she reached the Jyoti Nagar area of Matigara in Siliguri, the PIG managed to get her into an abandoned and dilapidated building where he tried to rape her. Our brave victim tried to fight him off and screamed for help. Scared that her screams would attract other people, the PIG bashed her head in with a brick and left her for dead. 

Her screams were heard by a local girl running an errand who rushed home and informed her family. As locals rushed to the place, they found her body still in her school clothes with her head bashed in. They tried to take her to a hospital but she unfortunately died on the way. God rest her soul.

The police were able to identify the PIG using CCTV footage and witness accounts as Mohammed Abbas who lived in Lenin colony area of Matigara. He has a wife and a kid and is of suspected nationality. Although not confirmed, it is likely that he is one of the thousands of illegal immigrants who have crossed into India taking advantage of the loose border of Bengal and Bangladesh under TMC rule. 

As the PIG was brought into police custody, an enraged group of Gorkhas pelted his vehicle with stones and tried to assault him. A mob even managed to find his shanty in Lenin colony where he lived and destroyed it. Following which a stronger police presence was deployed in the area. 

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad called for a 12-hour strike at Siliguri on the 24th of August in solidarity of the victim and in demand for the death penalty for the accused. Many marches and rallies were subsequently organized in Kurseong, Debidanga, Kalimpong and Mirik. The entire population of the Hills are outraged at the crime that was committed and demand justice.

The incident has sparked a lot of debate among the Gorkhas. Many have accused the murderer of perpetrating a hate crime in the name of religion, as the victim was a Hindu and the murderer a Muslim. Others argue that the incident should not be used to drive further hate between the two communities and that the PIG acted on his own sexual interest and that religion was not a factor. The fact of the matter remains that the motivations of the murderer have not been confirmed by the police but he has confessed to the crime.

The incident has also re-ignited conversations surrounding racism that the Gorkha community faces in Siliguri. Many young girls go to Siliguri to study and work from the Hills and Siliguri itself has a strong Gorkha presence. However it is common for Gorkha women and girls to be ridiculed and cat-called on the basis of race. Gorkhas are usually of a fairer complexion thus attracting a lot of unwanted attention from unsavory people. Some even worry that this may be the start of an even worse treatment of Gorkha women in Siliguri. 

However this does not mean that all Siliguri residents are unwelcoming of Gorkhas. In fact most of them have amalgamated very well with the Gorkhas going so far as to learn their language to make them feel more at home. The solidarity and support of non-Gorkha residents of Siliguri in protests stands as a testimony to the same. 

However, in the end we must not lose sight of the actual incident. It must have taken a certain circumstance of events that allowed the PIG to do what he did. We must ensure the safety of our young girls in whatever way possible. Parents, schools and the police need to take action to ensure that such an incident never takes place again. What happened was brutal and disgusting and such an event must never be allowed to take place again and we must ACT to make sure it doesn't. 

It has been heartwarming to see members of all communities stand in solidarity with our innocent victim. We can only imagine the horror, pain and fear she must have felt in her final moments as she tried to fight him off and scream for help. Thus this incident transcends all divisions and has united our people in anger and sympathy. It is with a heavy heart that we struggle to get her the justice she deserves and we hope that her soul has found peace in Heaven. 

Written by Ariyaan Moktan.