Shillong police draw flak for HNLC attack

SHILLONG, January 20: It was not sympathy but stringent criticism that was heaped on the state police at a high-level meeting held to review the situation after the HNLC attack on a police beat house here yesterday. Three persons, including two policemen and a driver of a requisitioned vehicle, died in the incident. Meghalaya chief minister E.K. Mawlong blasted top police officials and demanded action and results. His government is already facing flak on the spate of killings with no tangible counteraction. The meeting, held at the Pinewood hotel, was attended by Mawlong, chief secretary J.P. Singh, director-general of police B.K. Dey Sawian and inspector-general of police W.R. Marbaniang. Singh told The Telegraph that the current situation was entirely a police problem and laid the blame on the "inadequate leadership" in the police department. "These things happen because of the total lack of preparedness of the police. There is indiscipline, they need to change their style and orientation and generally prepare themselves to face a very tough fight," Singh said. The chief secretary noted that when the HNLC gunmen came to the police outpost, the policemen on duty were playing cards. He felt that if a sentry had been on duty outside, as is the norm, only one person would have died as the militants would have had to fire on him, sending a warning to the others inside. How the policemen would defend themselves without arms and in a dilapidated building which passes off for a police beat house, he did not say. Singh said the police had been directed to "organise and restructure" itself to find a better approach to stop the spread of the menace. He said the police had absolutely no excuse, not even that of a lack of funds. He, however, admitted that the state could not take full advantage of the central scheme for the modernisation of the police force. Police chief Sawian said there had been no acrimony among the officials at the meeting which discussed measures on how to ensure peace and normalcy on the eve of the Statehood Day and Republic Day. Commenting on the series of HNLC strikes, Sawian said the militants had become like a wounded animal which was hitting out at random. The DGP, however, brushed aside all criticism against the police for unpreparedness, saying, "We are fighting a battle in which the enemy is within the society and cannot be identified." Opp. condemns killings: Leader of the Opposition D.D. Lapang lambasted the E.K. Mawlong-led Meghalaya Parliamentary Forum (MPF) coalition government for its total failure in tackling militancy. "How can people have faith in this government when they cannot even ensure protection for their own policemen who are supposed to protect the citizens' life and property?" Lapang wondered. Police chief's call: Smarting under militant onslaught, director-general of police, B.K. Dey Sawian urged the police to take the "bull by the horns" and fight back. In an emotional speech at the guard of honour for the two slain policemen, head constable Harihar Ram and constable Shiekh Osman today, the DG said the honour of the police force was at stake and the time had come to fight the militants tooth and nail. The police chief has reportedly taken charge of the IG (law and order) desk in addition to his other duties which, sources said, heralded major changes in the department. Sources said that the DGP had demanded a free hand to tackle militancy without interference by politicians.