Meghalaya rebel group offers help to rescue abducted official
By IANSThursday, October 7, 2010
Indo-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE
SHILLONG - Meghalaya\’s outlawed Garo militant outfit, A\’chik National Volunteers Council (ANVC) Thursday offered its assistance to police in rescuing a transport official kidnapped by members of another Garo outfit.
\”We are ready to assist the state police in their operation to rescue the official if the government seeks our help,\” ANVC spokesperson Torik Jangning Marak told IANS. ANVC, which is demanding a Garoland Autonomous Council, is currently observing a ceasefire with the government.
Reacting to the offer, Additional Director General of Police (Special Branch) S.K. Jain said: \”It all depends on what kind of assistance they (ANVC) are offering to us. We don\’t close our minds on everything. All options are open on the issue.\”
Five armed Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) rebels kidnapped R. Syngkon, district transport officer (DTO) of East Garo Hills district, and his driver from his official residence in Williamnagar in west Meghalaya Sep 30 after he failed to meet their extortion demand of Rs.60 lakh.
The GNLA, one of the five Garo rebel groups, is fighting for a sovereign Garoland. It is headed by police officer-turned-rogue Champion R. Sangma, whose followers are mainly deserters of the outlawed ANVC and other rebel outfits.
GNLA military chief Sohan D. Shira, who claimed responsibility for kidnapping the transport official and his driver, had assured that the official would be \”released unharmed\”.
\”This act by the GNLA has disturbed the peaceful harmony between tribal Khasi, Jaintia and Garo. The GNLA should immediately release the hostages for the sake of harmony between these tribal communities,\” said Marak, whose group had also indulged in such activities before signing the ceasefire pact July 23, 2004.
Earlier, the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), which has been fighting for a sovereign Hynniewtrep homeland for the tribal Khasi and Jaintia in eastern Meghalaya, also appealed to the GNLA for the immediate release of the official and his driver.
\”We do not wish to see such incidents which could create enmity between the Garos and the Hynniewtrep people,\” HNLC spokesman Sainkupar Nongtraw said.
Meanwhile, police said attempts to rescue the abducted official and his driver were on.
\”The operations to rescue the abducted persons are on and we have got some definite leads,\” Jain said.
