Armed groups mushroom
Shillong: Leadership crisis in the Meghalaya Police has resulted in the mushrooming of several armed outfits on a killing and extortion spree in Garo Hills. Police at the field level say that the inconsistency of the operations against militants has given groups like GNLA a fillip to go on the rampage.
“It seems like the top leadership have no clue about what action to take vis-à-vis Garo Hills. Lack of focus and determination to push more forces to Garo Hills has resulted in bold moves by other fringe groups and breakaway factions,” a senior police official said.
While the GNLA renegades under Sohan Shira continue to bleed Garo Hills, Sohan’s former colleague Reading T Sangma, who was also the Finance Secretary of the outfit, has now formed his own gang in South Garo Hills the GNLA – F, together with Jack Baichung and Savio R Marak,” the police official informed this correspondent.
Then there is the UALA under Norok already operating in North Garo Hills and parts of Assam with a strength of about 30 cadres.
In Tikrikilla another group, the Achik National Security Force (ANSF) is very active in extortion. So also is the Albinus and Markus group which is active in Borsora area.
As if that is not bad enough there is the LAEF in Rongjeng area which also operates along the same lines.
The business community pays money to Sohan Shira every month. Sources claim that Sohan has amassed about Rs 20-25 crore and is now sending feelers for a ceasefire. They say Sohan now wants to start doing business as his wife wants him to come over ground.
Coal mine owners in Nangalbibra pay to all armed groups including ANVC but Sohan gets the largest share as his is the most potent group.
Even the coal truck owners of Goalpara, Assam pay to the armed group of Garo Hills. All wine shop owners of Williamnagar, Nangalbibra, Tura, Ampati, Dalu, Chokpot, Mendipathar pay regularly to the GNLA. Those doing other businesses also have to pay to survive.
Most people complain that police have failed to provide protection and so business people prefer to buy peace than inform police and get exposed and gunned down.
Most Garos are engaged in coal business, in running trucks and check gates. These are not organised upfront businesses and there is no accountability factor. Militancy started in Garo Hills in 1993 with the ALMA which then became the ANVC and then the breakaway faction called LAEF led by Peter Marak and Sohan. The LAEF then morphed into the GNLA. Norok is now leading the splinter group of the LAEF.
Money has ensured free availability of arms in Garo Hills. The arms come from Bangladesh, and from groups like the NDFB , NSCN and the ULFA.
Unorganized business activities such as coal and transport businesses and rampant corruption at all check gates and also the existence of Mahari check gates( private gates opened by Maharis on private roads constructed by them from the coal field to the road head)has only exacerbated matters. These Maharis in turn also collect money for Sohan, sources informed this correspondent. Sources say that all Government Dept check gates such as those of the Directorate of Mineral Resources (DMR), the Taxation, Transport and Forest Departments and the District Council, collect Rs 100 per truck per trip as Sohan’s share. There are at least 400 trucks per day plying on the highway. So 5 check gates x100 x400 = Rs 2 lakhs per day for Sohan and a cool Rs 60 lakhs per month. All this money goes to buy arms. Sohan knows the logic very well. No weapons means no money; but more weapons means more money Sohan has now invested in coal and truck business in his sister and wife’s name. He is now keen to come over ground and do business like Dilash of the ANVC. While all this information is available with the police it is surprising that the headquarter is unwilling to press in more men and ammunition to Garo Hills where there is complete anarchy. Someone somewhere has to take a call. But who will do it? From all accounts it looks like Garo Hills is going down the Manipur way where armed thugs spin their own brand of ideology as an alibi for their existence.