TURA: The banned GNLA has suffered yet another blow in its attempt to regroup and consolidate its position in the jungles of Garo Hills with its senior commander and third in the hierarchy of the outfit giving himself up to Meghalaya police at Chokpot in South Garo Hills on Monday.
The area commander of the GNLA for the coal rich region of Nangalbibra in south Garo Hills and the West Khasi Hills command, Baltush N Marak, emerged unarmed from the jungles of Chokpot in the southern district and gave himself up to police.
Belonging to the same village as Sohan in Chachatgre, across Simasang river in Williamnagar, both the militants had been long time friends and were also neighbours. The GNLA chief brought his close friend into the GNLA in the year 2010 and appointed him as his bodyguard for several years.
Following a spate of surrenders of his top commanders, in the beginning of this year, and a massive eroding of his cadre strength in the face of multiple setbacks at the hands of Meghalaya police, Sohan had appointed Baltush as the new commander of the coal belt region of Nangalbibra and West Khasi Hills.
He was also tasked by the GNLA chief to lead an execution squad to eliminate senior GNLA leaders who had surrendered to police in the last six months.
However, sustained counter-insurgency operations against the outfit by Meghalaya police and a recent encounter in which Baltush had a narrow escape appeared to have pushed the senior commander to the path of surrender.
In that encounter the group had split up and were unable to regroup compelling area commander Baltush to head towards Chokpot region from where he reached out to church leaders indicating his willingness to give up the armed struggle.
He emerged from the undergrowth at around 11 AM and was taken to district headquarters Baghmara for an official surrender before district police chief Abraham T Sangma.
