GNLA ‘not afraid, but concerned’
From Our Correspondent
TURA: Three days after threatening to unleash a wave of serial blasts in the economic centres of the State, the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) ‘chief’ Sohan D Shira has come out with a statement claiming that his outfit is prepared to take on the special CoBRA units of the CRPF and warned it would not remain a mute spectator to any atrocity that the commando unit may commit on the innocent civilians.
“We are not afraid to take on the CoBRA commandos. Our only concern is the genuine and innocent villagers who are likely to be tortured in the name of militancy as has been the case with previous incidents when central forces have been deployed elsewhere,” informed GNLA ‘commander-in-chief’ Sohan D Shira to The Shillong Times on Tuesday.
He termed the CoBRA special units as nothing short of normal CRPF personnel who have been given a new name to disguise their humiliating defeat at the hands of the Maoists in central India.
“After losing over 76 of its men in a single encounter with the Maoists at Dantewada district of Chattisgarh state last year, the CRPF have been trying to change their name to that of CoBRA. Name changes do not matter to us,” said Sohan Shira and cautioned against testing their capability beyond Garo Hills, indicating Shillong city. “Don’t underestimate us when it comes to Shillong,” said Shira in his statement in Garo.
Describing the ‘failure’ of the central forces in Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Chattisgarh states, he said the tables were turned on the security forces after the public went against them and supported the Maoists because of the large scale torture and death committed by the forces as tools of terror to break the insurgency.
Strangely, while the GNLA has expressed concern over unsubstantiated claims of atrocities being committed against villagers by paramilitary force personnel during combing operations yet, it has not backed off its threat to conduct serial blasts in market areas — places frequented by the very same civilian population of the State.
Reacting to the possible operations against his organisation, GNLA ‘chairman’ and former Meghalaya DSP Champion R Sangma has also warned that the State Government is making a ‘grave’ error of judgement by bringing in central forces to counter their resistance.
“Such deployment will only strengthen our commitment to the cause of Garoland and unite all sections of Garo society. Nobody wants foreign troops in our indigenous land. The jungles of Garo Hills shall be the graveyard for the so called CoBRA and BSF special forces. We will send them back in body bags,” warned Sangma.
Citizens wary of threat: Following the threat of large-scale attacks on public places issued by the GNLA, there has been a drastic drop in people visiting busy markets of Garo Hills. The Tura main market complex that otherwise is normally flooded with shoppers witnessed a very thin number of people since the last two days. Even the cluster of young men who otherwise use to be found in open spaces debating the day’s events were conspicuous with their absence.
Clearly, the fear psychosis generated by the threat appears to be having a profound effect on trade and business in Tura Bazaar.
Nonetheless, the police have beefed up security at all market places posting armed guards and special officers in civil dress to spot any suspect mingling among the crowd.
Frisking of vehicles entering into major towns of Garo Hills is also being conducted randomly while police commandos continue to hunt for GNLA militants in the deep jungles.