Garo Hills politicians in for a long ordeal from ultras

TURA, Dec 17 — Politicians who win in the coming Assembly elections from Garo Hills are already preparing for a long ordeal thanks to militants who have issued diktats to them on how to go about their business. Approximately 26 MLAs will be elected by the people of Garo Hills in early next year. The problem for the new legislators will come from the two main militant groups in the Garo Hills, the banned A’chik National Volunteers Council (ANVC) and the Peoples’ Liberation Front (PLF). While the PLF has issued a warning a month ago calling upon all the legislators of the new Assembly to work according to their agenda, the more powerful ANVC has now also issued a similar warning. The PLF has demanded that the legislators will have to work for the imposition of the Inner Line Permit in the Garo Hills to check the influx of illegal Bangladeshi nationals. The ANVC on the other hand has called upon the legislators to work for achieving a separate State for the Garos known as the ‘Greater Garoland.’ The areas demanded by the ANVC for this new State include large portions of land belonging to Khasi Hills in Meghalaya and Assam having a Garo population. The outfit has threatened to take stern action against any legislator who fails to pursue the separate State policy. Both groups have also begin raising the issue of corruption in high places. The ANVC and the PLF have issued a veiled wearning to any legislator and bureaucrat who swindles money meant for the development of the Garo Hills. While the PLF has neither accepted or opposed the separate State issue, the outfits do not see eye to eye.