SHILLONG: The GNLA has condemned the statement of senior Opposition leader Dr Donkupar Roy in which he had claimed in the media that there were complications in combating militancy in Garo Hills as Garo policemen were fighting Garo terrorists headed by a Garo leader.
Reiterating that Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma was born to a Muslim mother, the militant outfit said that the accepted fact that a Garo mother gives birth to a Garo child was convincing enough for any sensible Garo citizen to term Sangma, ‘a Muslim by birth’.
“The GNLA condemns Dr Roy’s observations and statements and asked people to know and believe that Mr Mukul is not a Garo tribal at all,” it said in a statement.
Recalling the firing incident of 30th September, 2005 at Tura and Williamnagar in Garo Hills the GNLA claimed that Dr Sangma had been a silent observer or rather an instigator against the tribe. Pointing out that the deteriorating condition of ‘Law & Order’ in Meghalaya, especially Garo Hills was not because the leaders, the police and the militants are all Garos it stated that the actual fact was completely opposite to the claims made by Dr Roy. It added that though the GNLA comprises of all Garo men, the police and leaders were not.
“The recent vote-count of the Parliamentary election proves that against all odds, almost all the non-tribals were with Mukul and to make matters worse the last Police recruitment saw an over whelming number of non-tribal muslims finding place in the list. Contrary to the Dr Roy’s statements; the facts, figures and reality of Garo Hills today show that the Garo militants are up against the growing non-tribal interests,” a senior cadre of the outfit Savio Ch Marak said.
It invited the opposition leader and others like him to come for a visit and study the ground realities of Garo Hills from one corner to the next to get a better understanding of the rising Muslim vote bank, the unexpected non-tribal faces in GHADC, large number of non-tribal police personnel and discrimination in disputes between Garo tribes and Muslims (Nurul Islam rape and absconding case).
Asserting that the GNLA is a responsible organization with ‘Garoland’ within the ambit of the Indian constitution being its main demand the outfit stated that it expected each leader to study the ground realities before making statements that are sensitive in nature.
“There could be fights, anger and difficulties within the family, but there will be no divide between bloods. Only the foreign influence will shatter it” it said.
