PART I: Fear in the Air
PART II: 'Our leaders are like frogs in a pond'
PART III: 'It is very lucrative to be a militant'
E W Mawlong's coalition government does not appear worried about the insurgency. But as it has happened elsewhere in the northeast, the insurgency could end up being a millstone around the state's political parties and government.
Finance Minister Scott Lyngdoh had to shift from his home in Jaiaw because of insurgent activity. He now lives in a government house.
Though the Supreme Court asked Meghalaya to hold a civic election last year, it has not been held as no nominations were filed. Reason: The militants said no to an election.
The Meghalaya insurgents have no real demands. All they do is indulge in criminal activity -- looting banks, extortion and kidnapping.
G H P Raju, superintendent of police, East Khasi Hills, admits that 99 per cent of extortion goes unreported. Those who complain are killed or forced to leave the state.
The police in Meghalaya have an unenviable job.
There is tremendous political pressure not to act against the insurgents.
Says a police officer: "If one of them is killed, there is an inquiry and policemen are made to pay a price. This has led to low morale and inaction against the insurgents who are criminals indulging in robbery and murder."
"There is a bandh if an insurgent is killed in an encounter, but if businessmen, non-tribals or policemen are shot dead by insurgents, no one bothers," says another police officer.
But Chief Minister Mawlong says he has given the police a free hand to deal with the insurgents.
It is a statement security forces strongly refute. Says a senior police officer: "If there is political
will, both groups (the Garo Hills-based Achik National Volunteer Council and the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council) can be finished in no time."
There is obviously no will.
Mawlai in Shillong is a bustling little area. There are no police camps there. Militants move around freely. A police raid last August killed three insurgents. Soon after, there was a public procession describing them as martyrs. Ministers were seen paying their respects. The government ordered an inquiry into the encounter.
After that incident, the police have slowed down.
Mawlai is the centre of Khasi militancy.
What began as a rag-tag group of young boys threatening to step into militancy has now grown
to be a full-blown menace. Periodically, armed militants raid business establishments,
killing its owners who are mostly Marwaris and walking off with the loot.
Recently, even police stations in the heart of Shillong have been attacked. Over the past eight
months, over a dozen policemen have been shot dead. One of them was shot when Mawlong was being sworn in as chief minister.
Finance Minister Lyngdoh says the number of militants is not high but as they know the area, they have created fear using easily available intelligence to strike at weak targets.
Points out a businessman in Shillong: "The insurgents declare a bandh on August 15 and January 26 every year just to give themselves a separatist rebel image. But they are just criminals. They use phrases like colonialism to couch their vocation of extortion."
There is such fear that businessmen do not want to talk about extortion. Many of them denied it was a problem. Says a businessman: "Why should any industrialist from India want to invest here? There is no peace of mind. The moment you show interest in any business enterprise, you soon have extortion notices. Business is not done for charity. The government must understand that."
The Meghalaya government wants to impose the Disturbed Areas Act to tackle the insurgent outfits. But observers feel it is a ploy to wrest funds worth millions of rupees from the Centre.
Design: Lynette Menezes
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