‘Demand for Garoland must come from the community not GNLA’
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Taking a dig at the terrorist outfit Garo National Liberation Council (GNLA) which is demanding a separate Garo state, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma said that the mandate for formation of a separate Garo state should come from the community.
Talking to media persons here on Wednesday, the Chief Minister went hammer and tongs at the terrorist group and stated that the demand for Garoland cannot come from a bunch of people under the banner of GNLA.
“We will examine the matter when the whole community demands for a separate Garoland,” Dr Sangma added while maintaining that Meghalaya too was carved without shedding a drop of blood.
According to Dr Sangma, the Government cannot fulfil the demands of the recipients of a new state who are indulging in extortion, killing, abduction and all sort of unlawful activities.
The Chief Minister also talked tough against the over ground workers of the GNLA and warned that they will be booked and put behind bars.
Pointing out that the Government will adopt new strategies as and when necessary to tackle the activities of GNLA, he also said that the terrorist group is dislocating all the development activities of the Government in Garo Hills.
When asked whether the State Government would take the help of Army to tackle GNLA, the Chief Minister replied that the proposal is there but the State Government intends to neutralize GNLA through its own security forces.
“All the lacunae will be plugged by filling all the vacancies in the state police,” he added.
In the bid to thwart the attempts of GNLA, the State police has recently upgraded three police stations of Shallang, Nongalbibra and Bajengdoba.
“The Government has also approved six new police outposts with an an additional strength of twenty plus police personnel.
The Chief Minister also reiterated that the nexus between the politicians and GNLA cannot be ruled out and Government is further substantiating the nexus.
In a notification which has been issued by the Gazette of India on January 12, the Central Government has added GNLA and all its formations and front organisations as a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The GNLA, which is headed by police officer-turned outlaw Champion R Sangma, has unleashed a reign of terror in the three impoverished districts of Garo Hills in western Meghalaya.
More than 20 people, including security personnel, have been killed in the Garo Hills in the last one year by GNLA rebels. This month alone, five people were killed while two engineers of the government-run Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited were abducted by GNLA rebels.
