Shillong | November 28: The government of Meghalaya has officially declared that it has no idea about the media reports related to the arrest of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) Chairman Champion K Sangma in Bangladesh. Asked by newsmen about the arrest of the GNLA supremo who is a police deserter, Meghalaya chief secretary W.M.S Pariat said, “ We are not aware of it because there has been no feedback on the information”.
On being queried on the state government correspondence with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the GNLA chief's reported arrest, Pariat said, “There has been no official communication”. Pressed with related questions after the media reported about the militant leader's virtual arrest in Bangladesh that has been kept under a veil by the security agencies, the Chief Secretary said , “ This is at a level that is not known to me”.
Meanwhile, the press secretary to the state Chief Minister issued a release today stating that the Government of Meghalaya views the developments on the law and order front with utmost seriousness and accords top priority to the maintenance of peace and order in the State. The release reads, "The State Government is determined to contain the militancy in various parts of the State. The situation in the Garo Hills is a matter of serious concern for the Government. The GNLA has been resorting to extortion, kidnapping, killing of innocent civilians and police personnel. They have been procuring and using sophisticated weapons against the innocent civilians thereby causing loss of precious human life. The economy of the region also has suffered in terms of setback to developmental programmes, investments, trade and commerce because of their anti-social activities".
It further said in a democratic nation, the Government has the obligatory duty to protect the life and property of its citizens. In doing so, the Government is Constitutionally mandated to use appropriate force against those elements which pose a threat to its citizens. This includes use of the Central Paramilitary Forces such as CRPF, Cobra, State Special Forces such as SWAT, commandos etc, the release added.
The State Government has come to know through the media reports that the GNLA would resort to kidnapping of Government servants and harm these unarmed civilian employees if the Government fails to withdraw the special security forces currently engaged in the counter-insurgency operations in the Garo Hills, it stated.
"The recent kidnapping of Shri P.K. Boro, BDO, Dadenggre by GNLA is a matter of serious concern and the police forces are engaged in the operations to rescue the abducted BDO and other two traders from Selsella. GNLA also seems to have demanded immediate withdrawal of security forces from the Garo Hills in lieu of release of the BDO.
"The Government considers GNLA as a group of armed militants and not ordinary criminals. This view has compelled the Government to use specialised and well equipped Cobra, SWAT and other commandos. This is the only appropriate and effective way to deal with the threat posed by the GNLA to the lives and properties of the citizens. This is the solemn duty of the Government in a democracy, the press communique of the Mghalaya chief minister said.
The Government urges the GNLA to surrender their weapons immediately and adopt non-violent democratic means to express their perceived grievances for immediate attention of the Government. After the armed threat from GNLA is withdrawn through the surrender of weapons, whose possession and use is an offence under the law of the land, there would be no need for the Special Forces to remain in the Garo Hills.
For the sake of people whose interests GNLA professes to serve, the Government, thus, urges the GNLA to release the abducted persons and surrender their arms, ammunitions and explosives at their disposal, so as to normalise the situation, the state government appeals.
On being queried on the state government correspondence with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the GNLA chief's reported arrest, Pariat said, “There has been no official communication”. Pressed with related questions after the media reported about the militant leader's virtual arrest in Bangladesh that has been kept under a veil by the security agencies, the Chief Secretary said , “ This is at a level that is not known to me”.
Meanwhile, the press secretary to the state Chief Minister issued a release today stating that the Government of Meghalaya views the developments on the law and order front with utmost seriousness and accords top priority to the maintenance of peace and order in the State. The release reads, "The State Government is determined to contain the militancy in various parts of the State. The situation in the Garo Hills is a matter of serious concern for the Government. The GNLA has been resorting to extortion, kidnapping, killing of innocent civilians and police personnel. They have been procuring and using sophisticated weapons against the innocent civilians thereby causing loss of precious human life. The economy of the region also has suffered in terms of setback to developmental programmes, investments, trade and commerce because of their anti-social activities".
It further said in a democratic nation, the Government has the obligatory duty to protect the life and property of its citizens. In doing so, the Government is Constitutionally mandated to use appropriate force against those elements which pose a threat to its citizens. This includes use of the Central Paramilitary Forces such as CRPF, Cobra, State Special Forces such as SWAT, commandos etc, the release added.
The State Government has come to know through the media reports that the GNLA would resort to kidnapping of Government servants and harm these unarmed civilian employees if the Government fails to withdraw the special security forces currently engaged in the counter-insurgency operations in the Garo Hills, it stated.
"The recent kidnapping of Shri P.K. Boro, BDO, Dadenggre by GNLA is a matter of serious concern and the police forces are engaged in the operations to rescue the abducted BDO and other two traders from Selsella. GNLA also seems to have demanded immediate withdrawal of security forces from the Garo Hills in lieu of release of the BDO.
"The Government considers GNLA as a group of armed militants and not ordinary criminals. This view has compelled the Government to use specialised and well equipped Cobra, SWAT and other commandos. This is the only appropriate and effective way to deal with the threat posed by the GNLA to the lives and properties of the citizens. This is the solemn duty of the Government in a democracy, the press communique of the Mghalaya chief minister said.
The Government urges the GNLA to surrender their weapons immediately and adopt non-violent democratic means to express their perceived grievances for immediate attention of the Government. After the armed threat from GNLA is withdrawn through the surrender of weapons, whose possession and use is an offence under the law of the land, there would be no need for the Special Forces to remain in the Garo Hills.
For the sake of people whose interests GNLA professes to serve, the Government, thus, urges the GNLA to release the abducted persons and surrender their arms, ammunitions and explosives at their disposal, so as to normalise the situation, the state government appeals.
