Shillong, November 19: Putting the heat on the Congress led Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA)II coalition government, the opposition Meghalaya People’s Forum (MPF), a conglomerate of non-Congress political parties, decided to seek Meghalaya governor KK Paul intervention over the plunging law and order situation in Khasi and Garo hills districts.
The MPF, which is a conglomerate of the United Democratic Party (UDP), National Peoples’ Party (NPP) and independent legislators, took stock of the law and order scenario in Khasi hills that stemmed out of the two and half months Inner Line Permit (ILP) agitations of the ngos and the militants related incidents in Garo hills and accordingly decided to seek audience with Paul and brief him about the entire security scenario in the state.
The decision to meet Paul was taken during the MPF meeting on Monday. The MPF will accordingly decide when to call on the state governor.
MPF spokesman and UDP working president Paul Lyngdoh told reporters on Tuesday that the primary duty of the opposition is first to meet the Governor and apprise him of the situation that is prevailing in both Khasi and Garo hills. He said, “We are sure that whatever the governor has been hearing is only one side of the story provided by government agencies.”
Lyngdoh felt that the breakdown of law and order is such in the state that the MPF wants to respond in a manner where it will not be accused of trying to gain political mileage out of the present situation. He said that MPF delegation will brief the governor on the ground realities and accordingly seek his intervention.
Lyngdoh said if meeting with governor does not bring the desired result and impact the current volatile situation in a positive way the MPF will then take the next step but also do it in a way that it will not be labelled as being politically ambitious or trying to pull down a government. He, however, said that the MPF has every reason to believe that the governor will use his office for the overall welfare of the state.
Another MPF member and NPP legislator James K Sangma said that there is complete breakdown in the law and order in Garo hills because of the sudden rise of insurgency related incidents with spade of kidnappings taking place. He informed that the most recently is the kidnapping of four traders from Amal Aseng area and also number of civilians and security personnel who have lost their lives.
Giving statistic Sangma informed till date now nineteen civilians have lost their lives to insurgency related activities and nine security personnel were killed by insurgent outfits. The latest was the killing of five police personnel in South West Garo hills district.
Lyngdoh further added to it by comparing the statistic saying in 2009 insurgency only one civilian and four insurgents were killed but not single security personnel lost their live. He, however, lamented saying that in 2013 forty-six people have lost their lives and in 2012 the toll of death was forty-eighty. He also lamented that the toll of human lives as increased as in 2008, it was 13 and 2009 it was only 5.
Coming to Khasi, Jaintia and Ri-Bhoi districts Lyngdoh made a case of how the law and order situation has really has touched the nadir by saying, “When the state capital shuts down at 8 pm almost three times a week how do you say that everything is perfect alright.”
The MPF criticized the MUA II Congress led coalition government by saying that it is not taking
NPP legislator James Sangma felt that the rise of militancy in Garo hills is because the situation was mishandled by the present government combined with poor leadership in the government. On the ILP imbroglio, he said it is unfortunate that the state government is still remaining very indifferent to the issue and no efforts are being made to reach out to the agitating ngos in a bid to bring back normalcy in the state. – By Our Reporter
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