SHILLONG: Cabinet Minister Prestone Tynsong said on Tuesday that the GNLA has been firmly checked in Meghalaya.
Tynsong, who was replying on behalf of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, said the state police forces are on the job to check crime and militancy.
He was replying to a question raised by Congress MLA Winnerson D. Sangma. “Police forces are on the job. They are dealing with criminal activities of different groups,” the PWD (Roads) minister said.
Congress MLA Zenith Sangma asked Tynsong to elaborate on “firmly checked” and enquired about the presence of anti-national groups in Meghalaya.
To the first question, the minister pointed out that GNLA activities have been drastically reduced. He reminded the House that eight cadres of the GNLA surrendered in March.
Tynsong could not state the exact number of cadres of the GNLA who are yet to surrender but assured that there were no active senior rebels. He also thanked the Police Department.
On terror groups, Tynsong reiterated, “… law will take its own course and police forces are on the job.”
Meanwhile, when Congress MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh asked on revoking the ban on the GNLA, Tynsong said, “We are not in the process of unbanning them. The situation is totally different as the surrendered cadres are getting packages and secondly, banning the organisation still continues.”
Congress’s Charles Pyngrope’s question was a change from the somber discussions when it evoked laughter in the House. Pyngrope wanted to know whether there was any system to decide the seniority of cadres in the banned organisation.
Tynsong smiled and said, “Senior cadres are those who joined at a time when the organisation came up.”
