Raising sharp questions over what he described as the government’s “denial mode” in dealing with insurgency, Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has alleged that the State remains vulnerable to a resurgence of militancy owing to the lack of transparency and accountability in handling sensitive security matters. Drawing attention to the surrender of ULFA (I) deputy commander-in-chief Drishti Rajkhowa in South Garo Hills, Dr Sangma said the episode itself left many unanswered questions which the government has failed to address, fuelling apprehensions of covert recruitment and revival of armed groups.
“Do u recollect one day I was speaking about some covert recruitment was taking place at that point of time prior to the surrendering of Drishti Rajkhowa in Garo Hills. Didn’t I say that the person concern (Drishti Rajkhowa) was in Garo Hills, yes it was proven that he was in Garo Hills because he surrendered where, he surrendered in South Garo Hills but at the same time, I think we need to confront the government, at the time of surrendering Drishti Rajkhowa did surrendered before the Authorities with whom? How many boys were there? How many men were there? Was he expected to be in remotest part of the country with his just two of his so called personal body guards,” Dr Sangma remarked, pressing the need to “connect the dots and confront the government.”
He further questioned the arms cache handed over during the surrender, stating, “And when he surrendered, what were the arms and ammunition that he has handed over? Except the small arms.” Blaming the Conrad Sangma-led government of habitual denial, he said, “This government is some where other known for being in denial mode. Particularly the Chief Minister. You ask about anything, you ask about illegal coal mining, it’ll be very prompt in denying.”
Underscoring the larger threat to internal security, Dr Sangma stressed that governance cannot afford complacency. “But the onus of responsibility of governance and to ensure that nothing which is somehow capable of derailing the peace and somehow enabling the vitiated environment for resurgence of any militant activities in the state. We are too all be honest to our responsibilities and preventing,” he said, adding that the state must not ignore intelligence inputs from across Khasi-Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills.
He concluded with a cautionary note: “It is the responsibility of anyone who is at the helm of affairs of the government to deal with this kind of situation with utmost seriousness, honesty, integrity with truthfulness to the best interest of the people.”
It may be mentioned that in November 2020, Drishti Rajkhowa, the deputy commander-in-chief of the banned ULFA-Independent who had operated from Garo Hills for over two decades, surrendered in South Garo Hills along with his men. The militants laid down an AK-81 rifle with 90 live rounds, two 9 mm pistols with nine bullets, and eight rounds of .32 ammunition, bringing an end to Rajkhowa’s long insurgent run in Meghalaya.
