DGP’s surrender deadline ends
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The one-week deadline set by the State police chief N Ramachandran for the GNLA to surrender has elapsed with no sign of the militant group expressing its desire to lay down arms.
This will now mean that the State police will launch its offensive against the militant group.
Meanwhile, Ramachandran said, “We will strike their (GNLA) camps at a convenient time…We have given them enough time to surrender and we (police) will not take responsibility of any consequences as they have failed to comply with our plea.”
Maintaining that the security forces has so far exercised “utmost restraint” while carrying out operations against GNLA militants to avoid collateral damage and civilian casualties, the DGP said. “GNLA militants have been resorting to barbaric killings of innocent citizens, kidnappings for ransom and extortion of money in the name of welfare of the tribal people,” the DGP said.
Intelligence sources said about 120 persons are presently camping in the main camp identified by the police in one of the thick jungles of Garo Hills.
Last week, the state government has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the militants to surrender with all their arms from their camps. The ultimatum was served in the wake of the intelligence inputs received by the police on the location and the cadre strength of several camps of the GNLA in the Garo Hills.
However, the stand taken by Ramachandran to issue a deadline to the militants is not free from criticism.
Leader of the Opposition Conrad Sangma, while appreciating the efforts of the police to neutralize the militants, said that what is urgently required is a socio economic package for Garo Hills and also a dialogue with the GNLA militants.
“I am not against police action against the militants, but this is only one of the means and the government should also explore other viable means to achieve lasting peace in Garo Hills”, he added. According to Sangma, the DGP’s statement of setting a deadline for the GNLA to surrender is unwarranted.”I don’t know what prompted the DGP to make such a statement. It is possible that he is acting as per intelligence inputs” Sangma said. (With inputs from PTI)