SHILLONG, Aug 1: Leader of the Opposition, Mukul Sangma on Sunday said insurgents are regrouping in the once militancy-ravaged Garo Hills region and asked the state government to take note of it.
He said incidents have been taking place frequently in the eastern part of the region after the western part.
“Regrouping is already taking place. Even as I speak now, cadres are moving with sophisticated guns,” he said, adding it is up to the government to find out more about these groups.
“I am only alerting the government. It should utilise the State Security Commission, whose meeting has not been called for reasons best known to the Chief Minister,” Dr Sangma said.
Slamming the government for poor governance and not focusing on the problem, he said that an efficient system to track every move of militant outfits and attempts to raise a new outfit has been dismantled systematically by the current dispensation.
“The government is not bothered. My repeated calls for a meeting of the State Security Commission are falling on deaf ears,” the former Chief Minister said.
Underlining serious concerns about internal security, he said the peace restored by the Congress-led government should have been sustained.
He recalled how he was proven right when he had alerted the Assembly about the presence of the ULFA’s Drishti Rajkhowa in the Garo Hills region. The Assam-based militant leader surrendered a day after the alarm was raised in the House.
“The government is unaware of how many people are moving around with sophisticated arms. It needs to wake up and take cognisance of this unwanted development,” Dr Sangma said.
He said there are many factors behind insurgency but the youth must have a reason for hope and must not be driven by frustration to take up arms.
He also questioned the frequent transfers of the Superintendents of Police.
Officials should be transferred keeping the complex problem of militancy in the region in mind. “This is why the meeting of the State Security Commission is important,” he said.
Explosives recovered in Ri Bhoi, one held
Meghalaya Police on Sunday recovered a huge cache of explosive materials from Umdu village near the Umling-Patharkhmah road in Ri Bhoi and arrested one person.
The recovery was part of an ongoing investigation where two persons were arrested on July 23 from Tura on charges of forming a new militant outfit either in Garo Hills or Khasi Hills region and were also trying to kidnap some unknown person(s) from Tura.
West Garo Hills SP Vivekanand Singh confirmed the development and informed that the explosive materials were seized during the joint operation conducted by the West Garo Hills Police and Ri Bhoi Police on Sunday.
He also informed that the seized explosive materials include 2.875 kg of Gelatine Sticks Class-2 Explosives (23 nos.), 24 numbers of Non-Electric Detonators and approximately 9 meters of Safety Fuse/ Cordtex Wire.
The district police chief further said that based on the preliminary investigation, the arrested persons confessed that they had kept some explosive materials hidden in Ri Bhoi following which the joint action was initiated leading to the recovery and arrest of a third person.
