SHILLONG, July 15: Meghalaya Pradesh Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Sangma on Friday said the state government has been indifferent to the attempts made to float new militant outfits in the state.
“I don’t see any resolve to deal with the attempts to float new outfits,” he said, lamenting the lack of intent after he had asked the state government to go for an internal security meeting or an assessment by the State Security Commission.
“The State Police Act requires the state to have the security meeting once every three months. How many times should the leader of the opposition remind the government?” he asked.
Stating that one cannot take things for granted as far as militancy is concerned, Sangma said, “We have a long international border with Bangladesh referred to as porous. The border has always been vulnerable, providing easy access to sophisticated arms.”
He said lack of opportunities and frustration among the youth are recipes for disasters.
He cited the five-year wait since 2018 for the eligible youth to be recruited as constables in the state police. There are several posts lying vacant, he said.
Border agreement
Sangma also attacked the CM for the border agreement with Assam that has “divided” the swathes of land claimed by the Meghalaya government in 2011.
“We had claimed the whole area but they agreed to divide it,” he said, adding that the agreement with Assam was hurriedly pushed through.
“It looked more like a predetermined decision,” he said while slamming the government for giving away 0.29 sq km at Khanapara to Assam.
Asking the government if the main stakeholders – the people living in the disputed areas – are happy with the move to shift them to Assam, he said many border residents have come to him and expressed their dissatisfaction over the border pact between the two states on March 29.
“This government is doing something not acceptable to people,” he said, maintaining that many villagers resisting the boundary deal are being pressured and harassed.
