SHILLONG: The outlawed GNLA has called dawn-to-dusk bandhs on September 25 and 26 from 5 am to 4 pm in the entire Garo Hills region, alleging that the Government was not paying attention to their various demands.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, the publicity secretary of GNLA, Pantera Singgasik, said that instead of giving any attention to the demands of the GNLA, the Government is launching intensive operations against them.
A separate state for Garos within the framework of the Indian Constitution is the key demand of the GNLA.
Supporting the separate statehood movement of the NGOs under the banner of the Garo Hills State Movement Committee (GHSMC), the GNLA leader wanted to know why the Government had sent as many as 23 democratic protesters to jail.
The GNLA also criticized Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma by saying that he was acting like a dictator.
According to the GNLA, “all the Cabinet ministers and the legislators of the MUA-II Government are lamenting since they are just like rubber stamps and can’t enjoy their power in their respective departments; and also they cannot move even a single paper from one table to another without the Chief Minister’s consent.”
The GNLA also ruled out any surrender with arms but added that they were ready to abjure violence at any time after positive political dialogue with the Government.
The GNLA also said that it is investigating against some NGO leaders of Tura including GSU leader Tengsak Momin and others who are opposing the Garoland demand.
The GNLA also said that it will deploy ‘high tech forces’ in the towns and cities to tackle any retaliatory action from the security forces.