Operation Birdie – II
By Our Special Correspondent
SHILLONG: The GNLA’s strategy to prey and poach on disgruntled police personnel from the lower ranks has become its own nemesis. Sources have revealed the extraordinary strategy adopted by the police in the recent counter insurgency operation code-named Birdie-II, by planting a police mole in the outfit.
The GNLA was luring disgruntled policemen into its fold. It was good while it lasted. Earlier, Constable Savio R Marak was made Area Commander of West Khasi Hills Zone. The GNLA ordered him to take on the local police which he promptly did by firing at Dobu Police Outpost recently.
GNLA gives greater importance to police deserters who join the outfit such as Rupanto, Roster and others. Rupanto was Deputy C in C, and Area Commander and now Chief Training Instructor. The slain Roster Marak was also Deputy C in C and Area Commander of Williamnagar Zone.
This strategy has two immediate advantages. One is “ready made” trained police personnel who can carry and use sophisticated weapons without further training. Second, these police personnel who joined the GNLA, know the tactics adopted by the regular police. It gives a huge tactical advantage to the militant outfit to gain immediate and extraordinary results with limited investment in time and manpower.
Police top brass who scrutinised the GNLA tactics used this very stratagem to defeat the outfit’s carefully laid out plans. Operation Birdie-II against the GNLA was a meticulously planned, top secret operation known only to a few top police officers who knew the weaknesses in the GNLA chain of command.
Operation Birdie-II began with identifying police personnel who received phone calls from Champion Sangma and Sohan D Shira. One such constable is Heubert S Marak, of Shillong DEF, from Warima village of Williamnagar. Heubert is the PSO of an MLA from Garo Hills.
Heubert had been contacted by Sohan D Shira with allurement and mild threats, to join GNLA. Having tapped this information, the top police officers took Heubert into confidence and Operation Birdie-II entered the second phase.
Constable Heubert was allowed to abscond with one carbine and revolver which he handed over to Sohan Shira. There was jubilation in GNLA camp that one more police personnel deserted the police and strengthened the GNLA cadre.
Immediately, Heubert was made part of the Central Command under Roster Marak. This was a rare honour for Heubert as Central Command was personally supervised by Sohan Shira himself. A criminal case was registered by the Shillong Police against Heubert and proceedings for his dismissal from police service were drawn up.
Meanwhile Heubert Marak passed on critical information to the SWAT teams about the Command structure, fire power and their preparedness to take on the police anytime. The fire power is formidable. Grenade launchers, AK rifles, MKS rifles, hand grenades, huge quantity of ammunition with them made them confident that the Command could outwit any police force that enters the Bolkengiri forests.
Armed with this information the SWAT teams entered the Bolkengre forest, well aware that they might come under heavy fire and might lose their lives in this operation. All the SWAT personnel were prepared for any eventuality.
As per plan, the SWAT team moved during midnight to the camp where Roster and other GNLA cadres were taking shelter in the thick Bolkengre jungles. They had to rescue Heubert Marak unharmed since once police operation begins, Heubert’s cover would be blown off and he would be exposed to grave risks.
The SWAT team meticulously planned the operation with inside information passed on by Heubert and calculated the risks. They moved with absolute professionalism into the jungle towards the camp.
At 0130 hrs on August 9, 2011, the camp was located. Heubert was asked to pin himself down to the ground when the GNLA cadres were challenged by SWAT to surrender. They were greeted by a volley of fire from the camp. The exchange of fire between SWAT and GNLA lasted for about 50 minutes.
SI Shengsram Ch Marak of SWAT received severe bullet injuries on both hands. His AK rifle fell to the ground, making him completely vulnerable. At this point Heubert Marak, who was lying next to Shengsram, picked up the AK rifle and retaliated the militants’ fire.
His bravery and presence of mind saved the life of SI Sengshram who suffered grave bullet injuries. Heubert Marak is one cop who has shown exemplary courage, presence of mind, devotion to duty and brought laurels to the Meghalaya Police in fight against militancy in Operation Birdie-II.