Question mark over UALA’s talks offer

TURA: The United A’chik Liberation Army (UALA), which has been holding talks with the Meghalaya government for close to a year now to work out the modalities of a negotiated settlement, is now under the police scanner for allegedly orchestrating kidnappings and extortion in the Garo Hills.
This week’s arrest of a gang of kidnappers and their subsequent confessions have revealed that the gang was working under the direction of top UALA leaders who encouraged them to use the seals and letter pads of the banned GNLA to spread fear among its victims and their families.
One of the arrested members, Pollendro Ch Momin (34), who was working as a peon in the civil surgeon’s office in Tura, informed this to Tura police, which made the breakthrough into the abduction of the road construction supervisor who was kidnapped near Betasing, a week ago.
Three arrested members, Pollendro, Porkash Sangma and Anath Koch have told police that they were working under the directions of UALA chairman, Novembirth Ch Marak who went by the name of Chiindik Marak.
They further revealed that the UALA chairman’s wife identified as Meenalchi and the group’s finance secretary called Arong were actively involved in the financial dealings of the group as far as extorting ransom from victims were concerned.
As many as three GNLA demand notes along with two GNLA seals, six mobile handsets and a demand note of the UALA were recovered from the arrested men.
The group had reportedly directed stamp maker Sanjay Das    of Tura to prepare the GNLA pads and seals for use in their extortion drive across different parts of Garo Hills, including Tura town, informed Tura police.
“All along the group had been trying to divert police attention by using names of other outfits to extort money. On one hand they were announcing their willingness to hold peace talks, on the other they were continuing with their criminal activities,” said senior police officials from Tura.
Police have opened investigations and are on the lookout for the UALA chairman Novembirth Marak.
The UALA leadership met senior government officials to work out the modalities of peace talks on December 23rd,2014 at the MeECL guest house in Ronkhon, Tura. Subsequently, they had another round of discussions in the early part of this year.