The arrest of Rapiush Ch Sangma, Vice Chairman of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) in Bengaluru indicates that the cadres of the outfit are scattered across the region and in other metros of India as well. Considering that Rapiush holds an important position in the GNLA despite having joined it very recently and that he is alleged to be next in line for the Chairman’s post, his arrest is a major score for the Meghalaya Police. Rapiush had contested the 2013 assembly elections from Rongjeng constituency from the Samajwadi Party but lost. He stated with candour that he joined the GNLA to recover the money he spent during the elections. He is a graduate who had earlier held a job with the IFAD project in Garo Hills and also with the National Rural Health Mission. Rapiush’s profile informs us that not only uneducated youth or school drop outs join militant outfits but even those who should know better and already have a family to look after.
The craze for the good life that globalisation has brought in its wake, tempts many to opt for get- rich- quick avenues of which militancy is an option. What the youth don’t realise is that once they join a militant outfit they are hunted down mercilessly. Militant leaders lead a cushy life and are well guarded. They have enough resources to tap informers within the security establishment to provide them vital information about the next move of the police. Is it any wonder then why the police reach a militant hide-out only when it is abandoned? This should alert the police about moles in their own set-up and they are quite a few of them. Like someone said, “Everyone has a price. It depends at which price the person is willing to be bought.” A policeman having to hunt down militants in the jungles of Garo Hills is perpetually putting his life on the line. In the absence of counselling and empathy from his bosses he could very easily cross sides. But as Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma has repeatedly stated, it is important to check whether a person has criminal proclivities at the time of recruitment. Many have got in by paying money and spend the rest of their time earning that back. But for every black sheep there are ten others who take their jobs seriously and with rare dedication. This is the reason why we are safe. A better, more transparent recruitment process is what is needed. Political interference in recruitment, posting and transfer of cops should be a “No Go” area. The Meghalaya Police has started the cleaning up process in police recruitment but we learn that it is an uphill task. They should learn to stand up to politicians and defend their credo
