Garo militants warn non-Garos against participating in polls

TURA, March 24: A Garo militant group known as the People's Liberation Front of Meghalaya (PLF-M), has given an order warning all non-Garos not to contest the State Assembly and district council elections slated for 2003. The order given by the outfit's "minister for information and publicity" Chengku Momin, stated that the Garos would face a number of problems if the non-Garos contested and won elections. The outfit is of the impression that the non-Garos would utilise the maximum benefits for themselves if they won the elections and this in turn, would push the Garo Hills into a situation similar to that in Tripura. The outfit has also warned the Garo ministers and legislators to either sit up and start working or face the consequences. The PLF-M has asked each elected representative to visit their constituency for not less than a month to see the problems the people faced.