WILLIAMNAGAR: This was a mournful end to a life lost to violence. When alive he was a ‘wanted’ man. In his death, his entire village gathered to have a glimpse of the son who treaded the wrong path but wanted to make truce with peace.
Even his past colleagues did not forget their former mentor as a handful of surrendered rebels came to pay their last respects.
Sohan D Shira, co-founder of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) who became synonymous with terror, was laid to rest alongside the grave of his father, Golendro T Sangma, in his native village of Chasatgre, less than a km from Nokil Awe locality of Williamnagar, on Sunday afternoon.
The 42-year-old militant chief was killed in a gunbattle with SF-10 commandos outside Bawanggre village in the interior of Dobu on Saturday morning. His body was handed over to the family after an autopsy on Sunday morning.
The coffin containing the remains of the militant leader in his village was received by dozens of villagers from both Chasatgre and adjoining Nengmandalgre.
Despite the brutality of the man who was blamed for the deaths of dozens of people during the height of militancy, back home he was hailed as something else.
“My brother had a yearning to return to a life of normalcy but each time he tried to do so there were obstacles in his path,” said the slain militant’s eldest sister Aruna D Shira.
Aruna said Sohan had wanted to have a peace agreement with the government but the latter wanted him to surrender unconditionally.
“He was sceptical of the surrender without any agreement because he had faced many difficulties and was blamed for many things in the past,” said Aruna.
She spoke of how the political leadership in the state had refused to provide him with an opportunity to initiate a dialogue.
The mourning sister recalled past incidents of harassment meted out to her brother after the ANVC came overground with his business being targeted and his workers getting attacked.
Aruna said it was only recently that two representatives from the Centre had reached out to the family to convince the GNLA chief to come to the negotiation table.
“We were optimistic that something positive would take place after the election to bring lasting peace in Garo Hills because Sohan himself had informed he would be ready to give up gun and return to the mainstream if a peace package was announced. But he is dead now,” lamented the eldest sibling in the Shira family.
“We don’t blame anyone but we have lost a brother who fought for the people of Garo Hills,” said Aruna.
