TURA, JUNE 9: The United A’chik Liberation Army (UALA) on Thursday bid farewell to arms in the presence of Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma and home minister Roshan Warjri at a disbanding ceremony held at Tura in West Garo Hills.
A total of 68 cadres were present at the disbanding ceremony.
No formal ceremony to lay down arms was held. The arms were submitted prior to the disbanding ceremony. The arms displayed included an LMG, two AKs, a double barrel gun, three pistols, a rocket launcher and grenades.
“We were misguided and had led a different live altogether in the jungle. We regret being in the jungles. We have realised that with arms there cannot be any peace in Garo hills. We are happy to come and join the mainstream. We believe that society will accept us and allow us to live together”, said Novembirth Marak, the outfit’s chairman.
He said that they had tried to convince at least five other outfits to come together under the banner of A’chik Revolutionary Front (ARF) to join the mainstream. However, due to certain difference, it did not materialize.
“I appeal to other outfit to accept the call of the government and join the mainstream and work for the welfare of the Garo society”, Marak added.
Marak also clarified that the outfit was not formed for easy money but they had no direction to look ahead and had gone astray.
Former HNLC militant turned politician Julius Dorphang, who was also present on the occasion, termed the decision of the UALA as a welcome step. He narrated his ordeal in insurgency and motivated the cadres to strive hard for the betterment of the society and contribute in whatever form they can.
Mukul hailed the decision of the outfit, and termed that UALA experience will have a far-reaching impact in the state and other parts of the Northeast.
“The outfit had responded to the call of the government. We will provide them an enabling atmosphere to grow. There are several welfare programme of the government, we will guide the cadres to reap its benefit”, said Mukul.
Terming the disbanding ceremony as a positive outcome of the initiative of the government, Mukul said, “It is a culmination of an exercise which is an offshoot of our very comprehensive due diligence to create an environment, where militants abjure violence and all forms of unlawful activities and takes decision to come overground and be part of the growth process of the national mainstream”.
He said that the model could be replicated elsewhere in the region, as the problem of insurgency is not just confined to Meghalaya but in the entire Northeast. “Our approach was different. It is not a political dialogue but a peace dialogue. This is tried and tested. Similar things can be worked out in other insurgency-hit region of the Northeast. The problem of Garo hills is not insulated from the problem of Assam or other parts of Northeast”, the chief minister added.
Mukul also hinted that several outfits have expressed their desire to come forward and accept the offer of the government.
Home minister Roshan Warjri reminded the cadres of the non-violence statehood movement, which led to the creation of Meghalaya carved out of Assam in 1972.
She motivated the cadres to be spiritually and morally prepared to live a dignified life. She shared her entrepreneurial venture with the cadres and asked them to respect the dignity of labour and work for peace and development of the state.
The ceremony began with a prayer led by pastor Greaterburn Marak.
The unofficial interlocutor pastor Janang R. Sangma, pastor Frithing Sangma and Fr. Janurius Sangma played a pivotal role in bringing the UALA to the negotiation table. The official interlocutor was EP Kharbhih.
The outfit was formed in February 2013 by Norrok, a former action commander of the now disbanded A’chik National Volunteers Council (breakaway faction).
In October 2013, Novembirth, who was general secretary of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), joined the outfit to be elevated to the rank of self-styled chairman.- From Our Correspondent
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