Former LAEF cadres plan to start dairy farming
SHILLONG: The gun-toting hands will now rear mithuns in Garo Hills.
The surrendered Liberation of Achik Elite Force (LAEF) cadres are planning to start dairy farming by bringing in mithuns from Nagaland to North Garo Hills.
During an interaction at the office of North Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner recently, former LAEF commander in chief Mathew Momin said that the cadres are keen to start a new lease of life and hence want to engage themselves as farmers.
Momin, who joined LAEF in 2007, became the commander in chief of the outfit in 2011. He was jailed for three years and eight months.
It was in April this year that Mathew Momin and his cadres surrendered before the police in North Garo Hills.
Momin is also in touch with the chairman of LAEF, Kelvin Sangma, to join the mainstream.
After the surrender, Momin along with the former general secretary of LAEF, Sengman Momin, formed an NGO christened Achik Welfare Association to work for the welfare of Garos.
Sengman Momin said after spending years in hideouts in the jungles of Garo Hills, now it is time to start a new life.
“We no longer want to return to the jungle, and our primary aim now is to engage in dairy farming,” Mathew Momin added.
He said that initially an eleven-member team will visit the Veterinary College at Dimapur to gain firsthand knowledge on Mithun rearing in Garo Hills.
“After getting the training, we are planning to opt for loans to start dairy farming with Mithun which will be first of its kind in Meghalaya,” Mathew Momin said.
North Garo Hills police chief Raghavendra Kumar supported the move of the LAEF cadres to carry out livelihood initiatives.
East Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner S.C Sadhu said the cadres continue to visit him to follow up the matter.
The plan to bring in Mithuns from Dimapur to be used for dairy farming by as many as 46 surrendered LAEF cadres was already taken up by the Deputy Commissioner with the government.
In a separate initiative, surrendered cadres of another group AMEF will be engaged in plate-making from banana trunk with the help of Central Food Technological Research Institute.