By Albert Thyrniang
The arrest of the members of the ‘National Liberation Council of Nongkyndong” (NLCN) has turned into a sensation. Samples of headlines are “Meghalaya police busts new militant outfit”, “Members of newly terrorist organization arrested,” “Police bust nascent militant outfit.”
The NLCN was formed in the Eastern Range area (Khasi and Jaintia regions). The police have accused the arrested youths of planning to challenge the established government, engaging in unlawful activities and plotting terrorist acts. We have to watch and see whether the serious charges are true or not.
The police have also made tall claims saying the ‘new outfit’ has established contact with Nagaland’s NSCN. The first batch was to be despatched on August 17, 2023 for armed terrorist training. As it turns out the ‘chairman’ is a juvenile – a class ten student! The total number of members could be 11 or 12 in all. Is a minor capable of establishing contact with the powerful NSCN? What resources do the dozen men possess to send their cadre to Nagaland? The story lacks credibility.
We must also protest the liberal use of the term ‘militant outfit’, ‘terrorist outfit’, ‘terrorist organization,’etc. Is a group of 12 an outfit? ULFA and NSCN whose members number several hundreds are outfits. Then why is a ‘football team’ branded as an outfit? Is NLCN a terrorist group? Have its members carried out any terrorist activities? Some local media outlets even labelled the NLCN ‘gang terrorists.’ Have they terrorised anyone? This is a clear case of exaggeration and the condemnation is insensitive.
The name ‘National Liberation Council of Nongkyndong” (NLCN) reveals a lot. The last word ‘Nongkyndong’ is to be taken note of. It means ‘rural villages’ or simple ‘villages’. So ‘National Liberation Council of Nongkyndong” (NLCN) is equal to ‘National Liberation Council of Villages’. Why have the 12 decided on this nomenclature? And more importantly, what are the reasons for naming themselves so? Is there anything to be concerned about? Why must a ‘council’ be formed to liberate the villages?
The first obvious reason is that the members are from the villages. As per reports the members are from Jaintia Hills and West Khasi Hills. Both Jaintia Hills and West Khasi Hills are coal rich areas. In the era of rat hole mining in Jaintia Hills and West Khasi Hills coal was extracted indiscriminately and transported in millions of tones to Assam and Bangladesh. Youths and the local work force were engaged in coal activities. However, with the ban by the National Green Tribunal of the Supreme Court in 2014 workers have been left high and dry. Illegal mining and transportation carried on, but it has not been business as usual. Earlier youngsters could easily work in coal mines and storage sites. They could earn well and had access to money quite easily. They enjoyed their purchasing power. But not anymore! Is NLCN connected to unemployment and youth distress? Do members of NLCN think that since they can no longer earn from coal mining, so extortion will take its place? Hope this angle is proved and established for the government to take corrective actions.
Does the NLCN see the disparity between the cities and the rural villages? Has NLCN emerged because of the imbalance between the two worlds? Is lopsided development the reason for the NLCN to come into existence? Is the neglect of villages the reason for the NLCN to be formed? On reading my article the other day, a friend reminded me of one of my first letters to the editor way back in 2011 entitled, “Shillong is not Meghalaya”. He recalled a portion, “Good roads are only seen in Shillong, good educational institutions are only in Shillong, good hospitals are only in Shillong…people see development in Shillong but not in Meghalaya.” After more than a decade some progress has been made but the inequality is still very apparent. The road from Mawphlang to Mawkyrwat has been as pathetic as ever, from Mawkyrwat to Nongstoin is the same, the way to Nonghyllam from Mawkyrwat is no better. The road to Maweit is a travellers’ nightmare. I am informed that the road conditions in Jaintia Hills, particularly in War Jaintia are in miserable condition. The whole of West Khasi Hills and South West Khasi Hills have no government college. There are a couple of private colleges with minimum facilities. These colleges offer limited major subjects at the graduation level. Science stream has no major subjects. In South West Khasi Hills, the single college in existence has no science stream. The condition of the only college in War Jaintia at Nongtalang is more or less in the same state. All rural district hospitals are ill equipped not meant for treatment of any serious ailment. Development is city centric. Has NLCN seen this injustice and hence feels the need to narrow the gap significantly? NLCN is not the first militant outfit. ANVC, GNLA and others thrived in the most backward and, at times inapproachable locations, of the state. In Manipur we are witnessing the war between the more developed plains and the neglected hills. In NLCN do we see a warning? In line with the declaration of Meghalaya as the poorest state after Bihar, NASA’s Global Gridded Relative Deprivation Index (GRDI) has confirmed the fall in the state’s living standards. Rural poverty is more acute. Rather than being dismissive about the findings the chief minister should do well to address real issues rather than be obsessed with the 10 billion dollar economy dream.
Criminal cases under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) have been registered against members of NLCN. If the NLCN members have done anything illegal they must face the music. But it is feared that the law is applied with full force mainly against the weak. The helpless often suffer from wrong implementation of the law. It was amply obvious in July this year when the police carried out the bizarre DC’s order to shut all businesses by 10 pm. The vendors at Kyndailad, including mothers with babies, were seen defying the command. The poor faced the law while the rich retreated to the comfort of their homes by the deadline.
The NLCN members might have broken the law. But what about the coal mafia? Illegal coal mining and transportation has been going on unabated for more than five years now. How many have been arrested? Has any politician been arrested? Has any business person been put behind bars? A former home minister had to be sacked because of the rampant illegality? Has any responsibility been fixed? Is a section of the police too involved in facilitating illegal mining and transportation of coal? Do police personnel on duty not accept bribes to permit movement of trucks? Were/are not trucks of the ‘high level’ permitted to proceed freely by the men in uniform?
Following court orders, illegal coke plants are being demolished. But what about the owners of these factories? Has the law caught up with them? Are they anywhere near any jail premises? Have criminal cases been registered against all of them? How did these illegal structures survive for so long? Did not the administration and the police know of their illegality? They were allowed to carry on their nefarious activities because they are high and mighty. Some are/were legislators or ministers. One owner of the plants in Jaintia Hills is a former minister and a current MLA from South West Khasi Hills. A former legislator and a current local MDC is the owner of the coke plants in Shallang, West Khasi Hills. Why don’t they face they law? Perhaps the police are waiting for PILs and court orders to take action? Has anyone filed a PIL against NLCN? Are the crimes of NLCN members more serious than that of the illegal coke runners? Then why this brazen partiality? The reason is because the NLCN members are ordinary villagers while the coke owners could be part of the ruling class.
Has anyone involved in the scams in the State Electricity Corporation been taken to task? How come the rice scam has been given a clean chit by the Meghalaya government itself? I am sure the NLCN members have seen how easily politicians and some government servants have become rich. They see the fancy cars, posh homes, huge cash and vast land assets of the haves. Do we believe that all these riches were earned honestly? So why not start a venture to achieve the same goal. The law has caught up with them very soon. But the crorepatis with their ill-gotten wealth may never face justice. In Manipur the drug cartel are ruling the state while the innocent public bear the brunt. Here the poor face the full force of the law while the corrupt are enjoying life with impunity.