By Albert Thyrniang
The cold blooded murder of the 35 year old woman, Josbina Sangma, a mother of four in Chokpot by the banned militia, Garo Hills National Liberation Army (GNLA) on 3rd June was reported by national television through the day and the next day as well. While NDTV’s headline was, “Meghalaya Horror”, Times Now described the horror as, “Savagery in Meghalaya”. The brutality of the incident was so grave that even BBC picked up the story and telecast it prominently. Garo Hills has gone international! Of course for the wrong reasons! Social media users flooded their posts with befitting condemnations. The regional news papers on Thursday carried front page reports of the horrific Taliban-like execution. The Shillong Times’ front page was covered with the ‘Chokpot horror’ and its related stories.
Letters to the editor followed in the coming days terming the chilling crime barbaric, gruesome, ghastly, cowardly, inhuman, merciless and other uncharitable adjectives. The terrifying execution was made worse as the rebels gunned down the lady in the presence of her tender children. The act was so cruel that her head was blown up into pieces. The sound and sight of the assassination of their beloved mother will remain imprinted in their minds for the rest of their lives. They will grow up having nightmares after nightmares. The memory of their dear mother seated in a chair with her head damaged beyond recognition will linger in their minds forever. They will have to live with that trauma. In spite of it, the GNLA has justified the killing. It is indeed painful. May the kids grow as normal as possible!
Citizens, through various media platforms questioned GNLA’s ideology and their claim of fighting for Garoland. What kind of Garoland do they envisage? Do they stand for a Garoland where people are executed on mere suspicion? Do they want a Garoland where citizens are shot dead without trial? Do they envision a state without the rule of law? It is a known fact that the proscribed organization is using many individuals to inform them about police movements. Going by their logic, should the suspects be executed by the police or the state without due process of law? Are actions of the rebels only to terrorize ordinary people so that they can carry on with their unlawful and destructive activities?
The National People’s Party (NPP) condemned the deplorable act. The Unified Peace Movement for Garo Hills (UPMGH) noted that even the strongest denunciation would not erase the traumatic experience of the tender aged children and the woman’s husband. The Catholic Church too has denounced the “brutal and shocking act of violence on the helpless”. For once the condemnation of outrageous crime was across the board. NGOs, pressure groups, civil societies, Church bodies, political parties and individuals expressed disgust at the sheer cruelty of the act. So strong and wide-spread is the condemnation that the GNLA’s boss, Sohan D Shira had to disown the ‘executioner’, Tenton. However, this is a deflection tactic to escape blame. Why has not Shira disowned the Chokpot ‘Commander’, Kiljang R Sangma, who dispatched Tenton to carry out the execution?
Condemnation poured in thick and fast. However, it must be noted that there are double standards at work. While the custodial deaths elicited huge protests including shut-down of the entire district, candle light services and other forms of demonstrations, the heinous murder of the Raja Ranggat woman has boiled down to only strongly worded condemnations. Lip service is, perhaps, the best description. In the past and also in recent times cold blooded killing by militants and unidentified armed men are not even condemned.
In spite of the shock waves created by the dreadful crime, the government is hell bent on peace talks with the GNLA and other outlawed groups. Chief Minister, Dr. Mukul Sangma, while ruling out army operation against armed organizations, is still willing to give them the last chance to sit for talks. No one is anti-dialogue but do we sense sincerity in their offer to sit across the table? Does our intelligence tell us of their genuineness to talk peace? Are they serious about bringing their grievances to the table? Will they ever give up arms and abjure violence? Do they really believe in peace? Or do they talk peace when cornered and in order to regroup and reorganize themselves? The government is well advised to consider some hard options. Perhaps, it is time also for pro-talk pressure groups, civil societies and Church bodies to reassess the situation. Garo Hills has to be saved from the alarming deteriorating situation.
In January last a group by the nomenclature, Vigilante group A’chik Peace Volunteers Council (APVC) had called for the use of force to end militancy in the hills. They suggested deployment of central forces to neutralize the various insurgent groups. The Ampati based NGO had a tough stance on militant groups operating in Garo Hills, terming them criminals bereft of ideology. They observed that militancy is a means of easy business. Therefore, in their view, holding talks with such groups is unconstitutional. Fortunately or unfortunately their voice was silenced. Intolerance is visible here. It raises questions about our democratic traditions and whether free thought and expression is possible in Garo Hills.
Militancy is thriving because of political patronage. The politico-militant nexus actively exists. Politicians have taken support from underground organizations in the last MP and MLA elections. Candidates paid handsomely to armed groups while bidding for victory. Therefore, they have no guts to speak up. A few names have appeared in press. The Chief Minister has, more than once, confirmed this nexus. Recently he promised that politicians having links with militias will be exposed. But his words are not to be taken seriously as he himself is an accused.
Not to be outdone, the Tura MP, PA Sangma, while blaming his bitter rival, Mukul Sangma, for the fast declining law and order, has complained to the Union Home Ministry for the current sorry state of affairs. The two Garo strongmen see eye to eye on no issue, but for goodness sakes, can they put their political and personal differences aside and thrash out solutions for the trouble torn and militant ravaged Garo Hills? In what way does PA Sangma want the Central Government to act? Central forces operating against the numerous gun wielding groups? He had earlier opposed police operation on the plea that armed men are “our own brothers”. Does he wish the Union Government to direct the state government to initiate talks with the rebels? The Mukul government too favours it. Conundrum, at least in my mind!
The latest atrocity by the GNLA presents an opportunity for tough actions. Except rival groups, who threaten retaliations against one another, out of fear, no one outwardly favours strong steps to subdue and neutralize militant groups who are creating mayhem in the region. Hope the refusal to act will not prove costly.