SHILLONG : Meghalaya Opposition Leader Mukul Sangma on Wednesday warned that the state’s hard-won peace should not be taken for granted, claiming that intelligence inputs point to attempts to regroup and revive militancy in the state.
Sangma said the recent firing incident at Songsak in East Garo Hills, in which four alleged inter-state criminals were killed, could be only a symptom of a larger security concern.
According to the former Chief Minister, inputs available with internal security agencies suggest that efforts are underway to bring forces together to form a new militant outfit.
“What you see is only the tip of the iceberg,” Sangma said, urging the government to examine the wider implications of the intelligence inputs instead of focusing only on individual incidents.
He said he had repeatedly raised the issue in the Meghalaya Assembly and credited the police with busting small groups operating in the Garo Hills.
Sangma expressed concern over reports of unidentified armed persons moving through parts of the state, particularly those allegedly carrying sophisticated weapons.
The former Chief Minister called for sustained vigilance, stressing that restoring peace and maintaining it are two different challenges.
He also urged the government to examine the factors that could make vulnerable youth susceptible to recruitment by militant groups.
Sangma said the security threat should not be viewed on a district-by-district basis, as insurgent groups do not operate according to administrative boundaries. He pointed to a wider corridor covering the Khasi-Jaintia Hills, West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills and the Garo Hills.
Recalling Meghalaya’s past militancy challenges, Sangma said that following the ANVC’s suspension of operations in 2004, some cadres remained in forest areas of South West Khasi Hills bordering South Garo Hills.
He also noted that the region had historically been used as a training destination by militant outfits such as ULFA and NDFB.
Sangma stressed that there is “no space for complacency” and called for continued vigilance to prevent any attempt to revive militancy in Meghalaya.