SHILLONG, May 1– Cadres of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) are hiding in the jungles of the Garo Hills in Meghalaya, Assam and Meghalaya Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Ajai Singh has said. “We are aware that ULFA cadres, on the run following counter-insurgency operations in Bhutan have sneaked into the Garo Hills from Assam and have been hiding there,” Lt. Gen. Singh said during a brief interaction with the media after being sworn in as the Governor of Meghalaya at the Raj Bhavan in Shillong on Saturday.
Governor Singh would be in charge of Meghalaya for a period of one month as Governor M.M. Jacob has gone on leave. Lt. Gen. Singh, under whose guidance the security forces and the police jointly launched the offensive against the ULFA in Assam under the Unified Command Structure, however, maintained that the situation in the Garo Hills did not warrant extension of the same operation.
He pointed out that the Unified Command was in force along a stretch of 20 km within Meghalaya from the inter-state boundary with neighbouring Assam. “The topography of the Garo Hills makes it a safe haven for the ultras,” the new Governor admitted, adding, however, that the security forces were capable of tackling the situation.
“The proximity of the Garo Hills to Bangladesh also makes it strategically conducive for the militants to hide,” he observed. Stating that speedy fencing of the porous international border that Meghalaya shares with the neighbouring country was necessary, the Governor noted: “Border fencing acts as a deterrent and a psychological barrier to cross-border movement of insurgents.”
It may be mentioned here that a major stretch of 425 km long border that Meghalaya shares with the neighbouring country is yet to be fenced, prompting Chief Minister D.D. Lapang to urge the Centre to complete the same on an urgent basis. Meanwhile, Governor Singh also informed that the response from Bangladesh to India’s request for action against North East-based militant groups camping in that country has been ‘positive’.
Observing that militancy in the North East as a whole was on the decline, the Governor emphasised on enhanced developmental activities in the backward region. Lt.Gen. Singh, who is also the chairman of the North Eastern Council (NEC), said his priority would be to ensure speedy economic development of Meghalaya, which has immense potential for growth.