By Albert Thyrniang
Things have turned very murky in the Garo Hills. Statements by rival militant outfits have only made things more convoluted. The ANVC-B’s Rangra Jagring S Marak reiterated the outfit’s nexus with the Chief Minister. Upset by the detention of 24 of its cadres, the General Secretary of the outfit claimed that while in the ANVC, they had worked hard for Dr. Mukul Sangma’s installation as Chief Minister after the last Assembly election. This is the second disclosure. In January the political secretary of the splinter group, Ajaju R Marak made a sensational revelation of close links between the Chief Minister and the ANVC-B. Suspiciously, Marak was eliminated in a ‘fake encounter’ at Daren Apal camp the very next day along with three others. That this has gone off the media radar and no one has questioned the killings only shows our collective lack of conscience. The ANVC-B’s officer, had told the world that the top leadership of the outfit strategically attacked and abducted opposition candidates to ensure the victory of Chief Minister’s party in the 2013 election. After the results the breakaway group’s leaders garnered support of all Garo MLAs to pave the way for the Chief Minister to be sworn in for a second time.
It was thought that the latest exposure would make the opposition parties make political capital of the issue and vigorously attack the Chief Minister. We expected the Opposition to make fresh demands for the Chief Minster’s ouster and for a CBI/NIA inquiry on his links with militants. But the Opposition did not even let out a squeak about these hot-button allegations. They did not raise even an eyebrow. Why? What are the reasons? Answers a bit later! First let the behavior of the principal opposition parties, the United Democratic Party (UDP) and Nationalist People Party (NPP) after the Ajaju bomb shell be recalled. They made a hue and cry. They offensively demanded for the Chief Minister’s resignation. They vigorously pressed for a CBI/NIA investigation. Enthusiastically, they decided to take the matter to the President, the Prime Minister and the leaders of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Unkindly, the NPP’s Chief, PA Sangma branded his bitter rival as the ‘Common Chairman of all the militant groups’ and ‘leader of criminalization of politics in the state’.
The main Opposition parties were determined to fight for their cause even as the Chief Minister denied all links with ultras. They were unfazed by Chief Minster’s defamation threats. They rhetorically attempted to force him to step down for an independent inquiry to be free and fair. They were intimidated by the Chief Minister’s warning of revealing the real culprits as he claimed he knew it all.
So what has suddenly changed? Or is the change sudden? The change was visible after the Parliamentary election. The opposition parties made a half hearted effort to take the alleged cozy relationship of Chief Minster with underground outfits to the seat of power in Delhi. They did camp in the capital to seek appointments with Prime Minister and the Home Minster but under the pretext of their inability to do so they returned home unnoticed. This is not surprising. This writer, in the article, “End nexus, end militancy” (ST January 31st, 2014), had the following questions, “Will they (UDP and NPP) keep the issue alive? Will they have the conviction and credibility to bring the matter to its logical conclusion? Or will they let the controversy fade from public memory because beyond a point it could affect them as well?”
The prediction is proven right. The opposition knows only too well that the politician-militant nexus is universal. It is not limited to the Chief Minister and the Congress. The nexus spreads to all political parties (politicians). So they are conspicuously silent now. They have stopped raising the issue of the Chief Minister’s nexus with militants! They have also stopped demanding for the Chief Minister’s ouster! No more insisting on a CBI/NIA investigation! The once momentous issue is now a non-issue. The once burning issue is now dead embers. The initial enthusiasm has turned lukewarm. This is because the opposition parties know too well that they too have links with militants. They know that they too have skeletons in their cupboards. They know that if an inquiry does indeed take place they will also be exposed. They know that if they continue to bay for the blood of the Chief Minister it will hit them hard as well. So Rangra Jagring S Marak’s reaffirmation of the previous allegation does not matter.
Now the Chief Minster is taking revenge on ANVC-B. He says that the rebel group has a liaison with ISI. The Opposition won’t even question the Chief Minister as to how he gathered this information. When did he come to know of this liaison? Is not the ANVC-B collaborating with the Pakistani Intelligence Agency to destabilize the region? And most importantly has why he not done anything about it early? Is he revealing this now because his relationship with the armed outfit has broken down? The Opposition can’t ask these questions because they know that ultimately they will have no leg to stand on.
There are strong indications of politico-militant nexus. No MLA/MDC has so far condemned the various atrocities committed by gun- toting men. The inhuman, brutal and cold blooded acts of violence like the 2013 Diwali day indiscriminate gunning down of eleven Rabhas in Gendamari, the 5th November 2013 ambush on five policemen at Bangjakona, the 3rd June 2014 savage murder of Josbina Sangma in Chokpot and most recently the murder of three policemen in an IED blast ought to have been strongly condemned by all public representatives. But alas, none did! The reason is that they have won elections through the active support of these rebels. Now they can’t speak against them.
Attention is drawn to Deborah C Marak. Being a woman, an MLA and a minister, she should have expressed outrage at the gruesome killing of Josbina Sangma. But nowhere in the press did we read her condemnation of the ghastly murder of the mother of three. Does this not point to her links with the GNLA? It is recalled that during the Assembly election campaign she was attacked by ANVC-B, the rivals of GNLA, in her constituency. Her rival Jonathan Sangma filed an FIR with the police stating that GNLA have warned his supporters not to vote for him. What does this suggest?
Concerned at terror activities of militant outfits in June, the Government moved to declare Garo Hills a ‘disturbed area’ but had to beat a hasty retreat as there was opposition from Opposition Parties in Garo Hills on the plea that Army operation will bring suffering to the common people. Now, presently are the sufferers at the hands of militants and criminals not the same common people? The victims of extortion, kidnapping, killing and harassment are petty businessmen, LP teachers, NRGES officials and even drivers. The real reason for the opposing the ‘disturbed area’ move is the fear that, in the event of army operation, militants who get caught will spill the beans on the nexus between them and politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties alike.
The police too are against declaration of ‘disturbed area’. For the last four and half years the state police have failed miserably to deal with the menace of militancy. Incompetency, unprofessionalism, untrained personnel in guerrilla warfare, outdated machinery and more dangerously, moles in the police force are the reasons. By the DGP’s own admission there are rotten apples within the force. The outlaws have infiltrated the Police force. Operations and colleagues’ movements are tipped off. That is why the big fish always escape when camps are busted. Ambushes on security forces are carried out with precision. Anyway, now that the police have said no to the ‘disturbed area’ proposal they have the duty to provide security to the citizens. They owe it to the public to defeat the ‘enemies of the state’.
Pressure groups, NGOs, Church and peace groups are talking the language of dialogue. It is quite understandable. Some members of these groups have sons, brothers and kith and kin in proscribed outfits. Some leaders and members of these so-called civil societies are even sympathizers and over ground workers of various armed groups. So we have a network of nexuses not just a chain of nexus. Garo Hills will further sink into anarchy, lawlessness, disorder and chaos. No one will approve of a decisive military action to take on the unlawful groups because all have skeletons in their cupboards.