SHILLONG: It was one of the worst years for the State in general and Garo Hills in particular in terms of militancy resulting in the resignation of Home Minister Roshan Warjri, besides rise in cases of custodial deaths and a deadly natural calamity in the region.
Concerned over the mindless killings, abductions and extortions by militants in Garo Hills, the Home Minister took moral responsibility and resigned from her post on November 20.
Ten years after signing a truce agreement, the Centre and Meghalaya government signed a peace deal with Achik National Volunteers’ Council (ANVC) and its breakaway faction ANVC-B on September 24.
The memorandum of settlement (MoS) was signed by Bilash Marak of ANVC and Rimpu Marak of ANVC-B in the presence of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.
Despite the ANVC signing the peace pact with Government, the presence of GNLA and other splinter groups are proving to be hurdles for lasting peace to prevail in Garo Hills.
In a chilling incident of cold blooded murder, the GNLA abducted four persons and took them towards the Nokrek Biospere hills above Sasatgre-Chandigre village and later lined them up and opened fire on February 3 killing three of the captives while one survived with a bullet injury.
One of the victims was former politician and contractor Rutherford R Marak of Tura. He had contested unsuccessfully the GHADC elections from Babelapara constituency in Purakhasia.
The Police later arrested lone survivor Manseng Sangma who originally hailed from Ruga area but had settled down in Sampalgre-Wadanang region of Tura, after it was established that that he had been giving contradictory statements on the incident and even going to the extent of claiming that he did not know the identity of the two other victims who were executed by the militants.
South Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Chinmoy P Gotmare survived after militants opened fire on his vehicle on January 17. Later, it was established that the GNLA was responsible for the attack.
Meanwhile, the GNLA kidnapped Baghmara legislator Samuel M Sangma’s brother from his residence at Gasuapara village of South Garo Hills on January 30. Samuel’s brother was later released by the outfit on February 3.
In a gruesome murder, GNLA cadres killed 35 year-old Josbina Sangma, who was shot dead in the presence of her four children, on June 3 at Chokpot allegedly for being a police informer.
The GNLA had claimed that the woman was killed since she was a paid police informer and it was based on her information that on May 1 this year GNLA trainer Kram D Sangma was shot dead by SWAT commandos after a raid at a GNLA camp inside Daji Badimagre-Boldakgre village of Chokpot.
At least 12 persons have been executed by GNLA militants since 2012, alleging them to be police informers, as per the reported cases in the media.
Meanwhile, the police recovered the badly mutilated bodies of the area commander of the A’chik National Liberation Army (ANLA) and his personal security officer who were apparently gunned down by his own men inside a hut in the village after a heated argument over sharing the loot on June 9.
Suspected militants abducted State Bank of India branch manager Arvind Kumar in South Garo Hills who was on his way from Guwahati when his vehicle was stopped by three armed persons at Rangatari near the Garobadha bridge on June 16.
Kumar was rescued by the police on June 18 from Antekagre village near Mellim, which is about 20 km from Tura.
In another case of abduction of an SBI employee, Subodh Kumar Mishra was released on August 22 unharmed by Garo militant group along the Indo-Bangladesh border in South Garo Hills district after a fortnight under captivity.
Mishra, an assistant of the SBI’s Gasuapara branch, was abducted by A’chik Songna An’pachakgipa Kotok (ASAK) militants on August 5 from Barengapara road when he was returning from his place of work.
Further, Tura police successfully rescued Kumar who was abducted at during an operation in Mellim-Rangsakona region on June 18. The suspected militant had demanded a ransom amount of Rs 50 lakh for his release.
Suspected GNLA militants ambushed a police gypsy out on patrol duty on the Rongram-Dadenggre road triggering a powerful IED blast leading to the death of two police personnel and injury to three others on June 25.
Unfortunately, constable E Khymdiet died of his wounds while being transported to Tura while another constable Lembartu Suchiang of Tura District Executive Force, who was driving the police vehicle, passed away during medical treatment at the Tura Civil Hospital.
Both the deceased belonged to the 2009 batch of recruit constables.
In another attack, the GNLA militants ambushed a police convoy by triggering a powerful IED blast in Chokpot region on December 5 injuring five police personnel belonging to the 3rd MLP battalion.
The injured personnel were Havildar Bibison Baitha, Karbinath Sangma, Alians B Marak, Dambarth B Marak and driver of the gypsy Riwstarwell Nongklaw.
Further, a petrol pump worker was shot at point blank range by unidentified assailants at Bokmagre about 12 km away from Tura on August 12. The deceased, identified as Bittu Patel of Samastipur in Bihar, was an employee of Rachael petrol pump.
Meanwhile, Sub-Inspector Pramoth Sangma (50) who was leading his team from the front to bust a hideout of suspected Garo militants in Purakhasia area of West Garo Hills District was killed in an exchange of fire on the morning of October 23.
In another incident, suspected GNLA militants made a daring attack on the official residence of the East Garo Hills Additional SP RTG Momin at the heart of Williamnagar town opening fire from an AK rifle and leaving behind a five kg powerful IED bomb on December 4.
At the time of the incident the family of the officer, his wife and little daughter, were inside the house but managed to escape unhurt.
With militant activities on the rise in Garo Hills, in Khasi Hills a positive that emerged was that desire of HNLC to have talks with the Government by giving up its demand for sovereignty.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had informed that the State Government has compiled a few names for the appointment of interlocutor to hold talks with the proscribed HNLC.
Meanwhile, three custodial deaths rocked Garo Hills in 2014.
In the first incident, a person accused in the high profile case of illegal detention and torture of 12 young girls, died on May 21 morning while under judicial custody after being brought from the Tura district jail to the Civil Hospital for medical treatment.
The sudden death of the accused, Balsan S Marak, had raised many questions. Relatives of the victim and common people suspect foul play and have blamed the police.
In another case, a suspected over ground worker of the banned GNLA identified as Witson M Sangma passed away inside the Chokpot police station lock up on May 27 allegedly for want of medical attention.
The South Garo Hills police arrested Sangma from Chokpot for his alleged involvement with GNLA.
Meanwhile, a 19-year-old caught by villagers with a stolen motorcycle and handed over to police in Baghmara was found hanging inside the police lock up on September 7 morning.