By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Home Minister Roshan Warjri on Wednesday assured the House that she would order an inquiry into the arrest of former HNLC cadre Banpyrkhat Langstieh alias Pyntngen who had surrendered before East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police M Kharkrang on April 8.
Earlier, while moving a cut motion in the Assembly, HSPDP legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit demanded that the former HNLC cadre should be immediately releases since the police cannot adopt different yardsticks for the surrendered HNLC cadres.
The HSPDP legislator said that the surrendered HNLC cadre (Langstieh) deserves the rehabilitation package which the Government provides to all surrendered cadres.
“I am surprised that the Government is adopting two different yardsticks for surrendered HNLC cadres. The police should provide the same treatment to all the cadres who come to surrender,” he said. “This kind of unwarranted action against the surrendered cadre by the police should not be repeated. The Government should take steps to encourage more youth who have followed the wrong path to join the mainstream,” Basaiawmoit said.
Warjri also stated that the Government has adopted a revised scheme for surrender-cum-rehabilitation of these militants.
“The Government has increased the monthly stipend of surrendered militants from Rs 2000 to Rs 3500 with effect from December 1, 2009,” she said, adding, “The Government will continue to encourage the misguided youth who have strayed into the past of militancy to join the mainstream.”
It is noteworthy that the arrest of the surrendered HNLC cadre has raised many eyebrows since the police had never arrested any of the surrendered HNLC cadres in the past.
Though the police claimed that the surrendered cadre was arrested for his involvement in certain criminal cases, sources have alleged that HNLC chief Julius Dorphang and many other cadres had surrendered before the police and the BSF in the past but no one had been arrested, despite the fact that several criminal cases had been pending against them.
Sources also stated that there was lack of clarity on the issue of surrender of militants since some are awarded general amnesty while others are arrested.