Insurgency / Meghalaya

SHILLONG, July 1 ? A son of a Meghalaya minister and four others were killed in an ambush by suspected Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) militants in Belguri in West Garo Hills district bordering Assam, last evening. Police sources in West Garo Hills district headquarters Tura said, 11 persons, including Jyoti Rava (son of Forest Minister Monindra Rava) were proceeding to Tikrikilla from Lakhipur in the district last night when the ultras struck. The extremists, who were apparently lying in wait, rained bullets on the Armada jeep, in which the victims were travelling, killing five and...

SHILLONG, June 9 ? While militancy related violence appear to be declining in Nagaland and Manipur the hotbed of insurgent activities in the North-east, extremism is growing disturbingly in the hitherto peaceful states of Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. Latest statistics of extremist-related activities in the North eastern states, released by the Union Home Ministry, confirm the new trend. From a mere 14 incidents of extremist related violence in Meghalaya in 1997, the number of such incidents shot up to 70 in 2001. A total of 37 militants were killed during the period with the highest number...

TURA, June 1 ? The extent to which the banned NDFB has managed to penetrate inside Garo Hills was revealed following the arrest of a Wireless Operator of the Meghalaya Police Radio Organisation (MPRO) at Tura on Wednesday night. The arrest has portrayed a chilling picture of what could have happened had his cover not been blown. The MPRO deals with police communication and can monitor conversations and movement of police officers and personnel. The Garo Hills police had been tipped off by their Assam counterparts about a strong NDFB connection at Tura following the killing of nine NDFB...

TURA, May 27? The Meghalaya Government is to seek the help of church leaders of Garo Hills to bring the banned ANVC to the negotiation table. Home Minister Lotsing A Sangma will shortly be meeting members of the A?chik Baptist Dalgipa Krima (ABDK), the powerful church body in Garo Hills, leaders of the Roman Catholic Demonstration and senior citizens of Tura to discuss ways in bringing the ANVC to the negotiating table. This was revealed by Sangma during his press conference at Rikman Continental hotel recently. Briefing members of the media the Home Minister said that the government was...

TURA, May 26 ? Garo militants belonging to the banned A?chik National Volunteers Council (ANVC) have lately been on the offensive in the three districts of Garo Hills. Their impact can mostly be seen in the West Garo Hills district where they have been striking at will in spite of Tura having the largest concentration of force which includes the district police, MLP Battalion and the CRPF. The sudden spurt in militant activity in the normally peaceful district has made senior police officials sit up and take notice.

Following the latest killings and failure on the part of the police to nab...

TURA, May 14 ? Sunday morning?s shooting incident in which two persons were shot dead and several injured by suspected A?chik National Volunteers Council (ANVC) and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militants in the heart of Phulbari market has once again shown that the West Garo Hills police are unable contain the activities of these militants. On Sunday, shortly after 11 am a group of ANVC-NDFB militants, numbering eight daringly entered the Phulbari market, which is on the border with Dhubri district of Assam. The militants came in a Tata Mobile vehicle from Garobadha...

TURA, April 21? A section of the surrendered A?chik National Volunteers Council (SANVC) militants, housed in the Goeragre camp of the 2nd MLP battalion near Tura, have become disillusioned with the Meghalaya Government over the latter?s failure to implement its loudly proclaimed rehabilitation package for surrendered militants of the State. The package announced by the Government was meant to ensure that the surrenderees would be rehabilitated and given counselling so that they could return to the main stream. A financial package was also included for those who completed the rehabilitation...

NEW DELHI, April 17 ? Alarm bells have been sounded in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) following reports from the region about militant outfits in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura joining hands. Briefing the members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, Union Home Secretary, Kamal Pande said that the MHA was perturbed over reports that an understanding and nexus was emerging among the militant outfits active in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura. This was partly on account of the compulsion of these outfits for alternative sanctuaries and camps and partly on...

SHILLONG, April 4 ? Meghalaya Government is keeping the doors open for discussions with the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) and the Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC), the two banned militant outfits in the State for a peaceful solution to the decade old problem, Chief Minister, Dr FA Khonglam, said Wednesday. He was replying to the discussions in the State Assembly on the amendments to the motion of thanks to the Governor?s address delivered on March 19. The State Government has already accepted the offer of the Shillong Khasi Jaintia Church Leaders? Forum (SKJCLF) to act...

GUWAHATI, March 21 ? Coordination and sharing of information with the police forces of the neighbouring States have been intensified following reports of frequent movement of the ultras through these States, said the Director General of Assam Police, Sri H K Deka. Talking to The Assam Tribune, Sri Deka revealed that conferences of the DGs and IGPs of the North-Eastern States are being need for sharing of information about movement of militants, while, district level coordination is also on among the police forces of the bordering districts. The DGP revealed that it is still not known...