The governance vacuum in Garo Hills has taken a severe toll on the people and institutions of that region. A sense of despair and gloom pervades these once peaceful hills. With several militant groups engaging in a turf war, things are not going to get better. What is of concern is the impudence with which these gun-toting groups are operating, almost as if they have the protection of the law. There is open extortion, intimidation and on Sunday last a daring kidnapping attempt that was somehow foiled. To add to the unease is the repeated power failure which plunges the region into darkness and throws everything out of gear. There is a deep sense of frustration among the people of Garo Hills today. They live in fear of the militants since the state seems to have failed to provide basic security. On their part security forces aver that civil society ought to get their act together and call the bluff of these ‘extortionists.’ In the past, attempts to go hammer and tongs at the militant often result in unintended consequences. While church groups have been praying for peace, prayer alone is no panacea. More needs to be done to bring the healing touch to the Garo Hills.
Militants are unlikely to respond positively to calls for talks as long as they have a liberal operating space. They will only send feelers for talks when they are cornered. In the past the ANVC had signed a ceasefire agreement with the Government of India and Government of Meghalaya but the entire group was not part of the tripartite agreement. Now the break-away faction is once again active and creating a sense of insecurity. With the multiplication of armed groups in a small economic space, things are only going to turn worse. The MUA Government unfortunately seems to be floundering on how to deal with the militancy menace. There is tentativeness in addressing the issue. This diffidence seems to have percolated to the security forces that often have to operate with their hands tied. While any killing by security forces is termed a ‘human right violation,’ the militants can gun down anyone by labelling him/her an informer and there are no human rights groups to take up the cause of such victims. This is a patently unjust and hypocritical system. In a war with an unknown enemy fought in unfamiliar terrain, casualties are inevitable. Yet the security forces bear the brunt of being labelled trigger happy. The Government’s own nervousness does not inspire confidence among the law enforcers. It’s a tricky situation which if not handled adroitly will have very far reaching negative consequences and badly affect governance in Garo Hills.