Militant activities on the rise in W Garo Hills

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. Initially there were about 12 militants but the others got down at a frosted area before reaching Phulbari. The other who entered the bustling Phulbari market were openly dressed in army fatigues and carried arms. They entered the shop of Srinath Gupta, a well-known whole saler of the town and tried to abduct him. But the public of Phulbari resisted leading the militants to open fire hitting five persons. While two persons died on the spot another three, including Gupta, sustained serious injuries. The two killed by the militants are Karkitaa Cherty and Shahatzxamal Sheikh. The injured were rushed to Dhubri Civil Hospital for medical treatment allegedly because there was no doctor available at the Phulbari Community Health Centre at the time of the incident.

The last two years have witnessed the sudden increase in militants activity in West Garo Hills district which for so many years was the most peaceful district from the three in Garo Hills. Last year the district earned the distinction of having highest number of unsolved kidnapping cases. During that year there were also many killings of civilians by the militants which the police failed to crack. Most of the killings occurred at Mukdangra, Rangsakona, Garobadha, Ampati, and its adjoining areas. This year the picture is a similar one again. Only two weeks ago militants shot dead person at Mukdangra bridge near Tura. They also kidnapped two businessmen from Phulbari area and another from Ampati and later release them after receiving money. The only success the district police got was in the killing of an ANVC militant at Rangsakona some weeks back, which they claimed was the main person involved in all the activities. However, shortly after, ANVC militants ambushed a patrol party of the Apmpati police injuring the officer-in-charge and his driver near Betasing. Coupled with that is now the attack at Phulbari market. Many are skeptical that things will change for the better unless the Meghalaya government completely revamps the entire police in West Garo Hills to tackle militancy.