The Meghalaya Police did a commendable job by nabbing a key accomplice of the banned militant – Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) on the eve of Republic Day. Also arrested were six others who raised the flag of the outfit on Republic Day last year. That some of them are young women is not surprising. Those who visit the Facebook Page of the HNLC and who follow the comments from time to time constitute the bulk of young people. Last year, this time the outfit proclaimed that it would renew its offensive against the system and even carried out some dare-devil acts such as firing at a police station in the city. On Facebook, the HNLC openly airs its ideology of hatred and venom and also spells out its intentions. The site gets several hits every day. There are some very provocative statements by the HNLC which are endorsed by many young rebels who perhaps get a kick out of riling against the powers that be.
Rebellion is part of adolescence. If well channelized this spirit of rebellion is what develops into intelligent dissent against the status quo; against a political system that breeds corruption; against governance that excludes a large majority of citizens and against concentration of powers in a select tribal elite. Sadly this does not usually happen and rebellion turns into anarchy.
The HNLC has warned the Congress and the United Democratic Party (UDP) of serious consequences if those arrested are not released, because it claims they were only Facebook friends and not members of the outfit. The HNLC has also called upon other social organisations to back it up on this issue. A warning that sounds ominous is that of creating a conflict between tribals and non-tribals. The main accused who was arrested from Nongrim Hills is from Assam but carries a Khasi, tribal name and surname. The outfit claims that even he is a mere Facebook friend, but the police counters that he is the guy behind the HNLC’s propaganda machine and an over-ground worker of the outfit’s publicity wing.
The law should now take its own course insofar as dealing with the arrested is concerned. Government cannot succumb to pressure to pacify anyone, but that is likely to happen considering this is election time. It is on this ground that Meghalaya always falters and the Police have had to retreat from their mission. If this happens, militancy will only gain ground in Meghalaya and the police will be demoralised. Militancy cannot be handled with kid gloves. Those who subscribe to militant ideologies ought to know the consequences of doing so.