SHILLONG, SEP 2: Warning that peace in Meghalaya should not be taken for granted, Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma on Wednesday said inputs from ground zero indicate attempts to revive militancy, with the Songsak firing incident being only a symptom.
Four alleged inter-state criminals were killed in a firing incident at Songsak in East Garo Hills recently.
Sangma said intelligence available with internal security agencies suggests a larger pattern that goes beyond the incident.
“What you see is only the tip of the iceberg,” he said, stressing that the government must look at the larger fallout of inputs already available with it, not just recent information.
The former CM said he had flagged the issue in the Assembly several times.
“I have shared on the floor of the House how forces are trying to come together to raise a militant outfit,” he said, while commending police for busting small groups in Garo Hills.
He said reports of movement of armed unidentified persons are worrying.
“There is a movement and it’s a concern, the movement of unidentified people carrying sophisticated arms,” he said on the Songsak case.
Calling for sustained vigilance, Sangma said, “Restoration of peace is one thing, sustaining it is a completely different ball game.”
He said factors that allow such groups to recruit vulnerable youth must be examined, adding Meghalaya has overcome similar challenges in the past.
Sangma said the threat must be seen across a larger corridor, not district-wise, covering Khasi-Jaintia Hills on the east and West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills and Garo Hills on the west, as insurgent groups do not respect administrative boundaries.
Pointing to history, he recalled that after ANVC’s suspension of operations in 2004, many cadres stayed back in forests of South West Khasi Hills bordering South Garo Hills, an area long used as training destination by outfits like ULFA and NDFB.
“There is no space for complacency,” he added.
