TURA: Reacting to the statement made by Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma in the Assembly recently, the infamous Garo Mandei of GNLA has challenged what proof he has with regard to his claims about outfit chief, Sohan D Shira during his rehabilitation at Mayiong in Shillong.
In a statement issued here on Monday Garo Mandei was all praises for Sohan and instead accused the Chief Minister of working together with the leaders of the ANVC to harass him and eventually driving him back into the jungles.
“He was well established in different lines of business but the leaders of the ANVC couldn’t accept his success ultimately taking away his legal sources of income (businesses) and even trying to eliminate him. Sohan, knowing all this disposed off all the weapons, ammunition, etc to Late Peter Marak ( founder and chairman of LAEF )with whom he later joined up to strengthen the LAEF. But Peter Marak was arrested at Jorabat and was brought to Garo Hills where he died in a fake encounter,” he said.
Garo Mandei said that Sohan was fortunate to escape a similar fate as elimination order was allegedly given against him by ANVC leader Dilash Marak after which he fled from Garo Hills leading to his surrender in the official residence of then Chief Minister DD Lapang with the assurance that the same facilities as former HNLC Chairman, Julius Dorphang would be given to him.
“But what facilities did the Government give to Sohan Shira after his surrender? Mukul Sangma did not give any assistance to maintain his family. After much hardship and problems faced to maintain his family and pressure from the Government and his former organization ANVC, he once again started running his sawmill at Chachatgre (Williamnagar) for livelihood. But then too the Government sealed his mill and instead booked him under MPDA and put him behind bars at Shillong jail. While still serving his term at Shillong jail he was yet again served an arrest warrant by the Baghmara court,” Garo Mandei said and asked if it was for peace or to harass him that the government had requested him to surrender.
Alleging that Mukul Sangma and ANVC leader, Dilash Marak had assisted each other for their own personal gains, the militant leader also made a number of shocking claims.
“ANVC leaders and members with support from the Government and the Police department sold off coal stocks worth over cores of Rupees at Songmagre and other locations of Sohan Shira, coal mines at different locations of Sohan Shira were seized then was extracted and sold off and a young servant of Sohan was eliminated by the ANVC, 2 liquor stores at Williamnagar were also seized by Dilash and others and then either sold or consumed by themselves, a cement retailer shop was also seized and used for his own construction purposes by Dilash Marak and members, a brick chimney factory was also seized by Dilash and others ,” Garo Mandei revealed. He went on to claim that all these happened under the very noses of the government.
