SHILLONG: South Tura legislator John Leslee Marak (Independent) termed militancy in Garo Hills as an ‘industry’.
“We have seen the mushrooming of smaller militant outfits in the recent past,” Marak said while participating in the discussion on the Governor’s Address in the Assembly on Wednesday.
He expressed concern over the trend of people in possession of small arms indulging in extortion and other criminal activities.
“I want to know if there is some kind of patronage,” Marak said.
Questioning the claim of the Government that the law and order situation was under control, the legislator said that the law and order situation in Garo Hills was in a pathetic condition.
“It is really sad that the Government is trying to present a wrong picture,” he said, adding that the hard reality was that the even legislators were not safe in Garo Hills.
“Personally, I have to think a hundred times even before going to picnic with my children and family. I am not sure if it is safe to go to a picnic spot,” Marak said.
Referring to crime statistics, Marak said there were 132 cases of murders in the State while there were as many as 151 cases of rape being reported from the State from January till September 2013.
Altogether 106 cases of abduction was reported while 468 cases of theft and 128 cases of burglary were registered, he said while adding that there were also 54 cases of dacoity and 103 cases of cheating.
In addition, he said seven cases were also reported for forgery of passport and as many as 1007 cases were also reported for other IPC cases.
Stating that crime against women in the State continues to rise as altogether 250 crimes were reported in the State in nine months till September 2013 including 151 cases of rape and four cases of gang rape, he said that cases of molestation have also seen a rise with 49 cases being reported in matrilineal Meghalaya till September.