From Our Correspondent
Tura: Reacting to the news item, “ANVC split imminent’ appearing in this paper on Thursday, Wanding K Marak general secretary, pro-truce faction of the ANVC denied that there was any split in the outfit.
Talking to The Shillong Times, the outfit’s political secretary cum Public Relations Officer (PRO), Malja Sangma, informed that the Council had an emergent meeting on Thursday to discuss the ramifications of the report on the ‘split’ in the ANVC.
The emergent meeting was attended by ANVC general secretary Wanding K Marak, commander-in-chief Jerome Momin, joint secretary Jangam Momin, deputy c-in-c Chenang Marak and the outfit’s intelligence officer. When asked about Mukost Marak the self-styled ‘commander-in-chief’ of the anti-truce faction, the ANVC PRO said the outfit had no knowledge about him till date.
Sangma also said that the allegations that the break-away faction was procuring arms was false and was aimed at destablising the tripartite peace process.
He said the ANVC (pro-truce faction) would be investigating the source of the news. Asking the media not to be hasty about publishing such reports the ANVC said ‘such allegations should be confirmed before going public.’
Interestingly the ANVC’s regular spokesperson until very recently, Torik Jangning alias Barnard N Marak who is the chairman of the breakaway faction was not present at the meeting. If at all any there is a denial about the split then it should have come from Barnard Marak who is said to be leading the faction.
Our (ST) sources say that ANVC’s disowning of Mukost Marak is obvious since the outfit had secretly kept him hidden in West Khasi Hills as a standby in case the truce broke down.
But Mukost Marak’s activities came to the fore after he killed the four coal labourers at Nangalbibra in November 2010.
Our sources maintain that Barnard Marak’s absence from the emergent meeting of the ANVC is sufficient proof that he is no longer with the pro-truce faction of the ANVC.
ANVC hails ‘terrorist tag’ to GNLA
The Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) has appreciated the Central Government’s move to brand the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) as a terrorist outfit.
In a statement issued here on Wednesday, ANVC spokesperson Torik Jangning Marak while condemning the alleged secret killings by GNLA urged the people to be united in fighting against the prevailing menace.
According to the ANVC, the GNLA is going insane and killing its own people, represents a lack of principle.
“They should stop the inhuman act and become more reasonable,” Marak added.
