The Garo Hills blast

THE bomb blast in Williamnagar that killed nine innocent people and injured several others, appears to be the lull before the storm. Militancy in Garo Hills has now taken a turn for the worse. This bomb blast only lends credence to the Meghalaya High Court’s proposal for the army to take over the counter insurgency operations in the region. While the proposal has been vehemently opposed by civil society and also by the Government, there is no sign as yet of an effective counter-insurgency operation plan in view. Kidnapping for ransom is carrying on unabated. Extortion has reached new heights and government employees are the targets of militant outfits which have multiplied over the years. Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma has appealed to the Union Home Ministry to augment the resources required to fight the ‘antinational forces.’ The Home Ministry ought to give priority to this demand for reinforcements, both in terms of man power and equipments. That the bomb blast happened in the heart of Williamnagar the headquarter of East Garo Hills district is a cause for concern because it means that militants of all hues are now able to strike at will. It also shows up the lack of actionable intelligence on the part of security forces. There is no dearth of inflow of arms and ammunition into Garo Hills, most of which are smuggled from across the porous borders with Bangladesh. The more the extortion the more money is invested in arms and ammunition. The IED blast also shows that the militants are desperate. Civilian casualties mean that people are forced to run for cover. Fear compels people to comply with extortion demands. This vicious cycle continues. Militants strike fear in the hearts of the people through such senseless killings. Although the GNLA which is currently the most vicious of the militant outfits has denied any hand in the bomb blast, their denial cannot be taken seriously until the investigating agencies are able to nail the killers. It is high time for the National Investigating Agency (NIA) to step into Garo Hills and do a thorough investigation into the present blast. The Government cannot afford to adopt a lackadaisical attitude to this kind of senseless violence.