From CK Nayak
New Delhi: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has, for the first time, raised concern over the prevailing insurgency scenario in Garo Hills areas and other parts of the Northeast, which he said has created a very complex situation ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due early next year.
“Garo insurgency in Meghalaya is an area of considerable concern,” Dr Singh said, while addressing the annual DGP/ IGP conference on the penultimate day on Saturday.
Union Home Minister, Sushilkumar Shinde, who inaugurated the conference on Friday, too, was hassled over the rising militancy in Garo Hills region of Meghalaya.
The security situation in the North-East continues to remain complex, with insurgency, extortion and agitations being the main disruptive elements, the Prime Minister said. Further, the susceptibility of Lower Assam areas and Karbi Anglong region of the State to ethnic and communal tensions, the growing mistrust between tribals and non-tribals in Bodo areas, the Garo insurgency in Meghalaya, increasing target of non-Manipuris in Manipur area are also cause of concern, he said.
But persistent efforts on the part of the Government have resulted in considerable progress in dialogue with insurgent and ethnic separatist groups, Dr Singh noted.
“We need to tackle all these issues with collective resolve and firm determination,” he added.
Expressing concern over misuse of social media for fanning tension in the society, Dr Singh said the country has witnessed misuse of social media and SMSes during the recent disturbances in Muzaffarnagar and last year when it resulted in mass exodus of Northeasterners from other parts of the country to the region.
“There is a need to find creative solutions which do not curb the freedom of expression and the ease of communication that social media provides,” he said.
The conference reviewed the internal security situation in the entire country but focused mainly on the Northeast, Jammu and Kashmir and Naxal-affected area. It felt the situation in Northeast has been further complicated with Naxalism spreading into the area, too.
Movement of insurgents from across the border especially from neighbouring Bangladesh, Myanmar and China was also discussed.
The conference was apprehensive of the fluid political situation in Bangladesh and the post-poll scenario there.