Meghalaya: GNLA remnants under watch Police leads fresh crackdown in Garo Hills border

Correspondent

Shillong: In a chilling reminder of Garo Hills’ insurgent past, the specter of the once-feared Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) has resurfaced with fresh concerns of hidden arms caches and revived networks. Meghalaya Police have arrested two individuals believed to be linked to remnants of GNLA and other armed groups, amid heightened operations across volatile zones bordering South Garo Hills, East Garo Hills, and West Khasi Hills.

Speaking exclusively on the development, Davis N.R. Marak, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Eastern Range), confirmed the arrests and ongoing action in sensitive areas. “I cannot say much about Garo Hills. However, yes, there are some reports of certain armed groups or extortionists operating in Garo Hills and even in the Garo Hills-Khasi Hills border area, especially on the border of South Garo Hills, East Garo Hills, and West Khasi Hills. We have had some inputs of some movement of some people there. And recently, we have launched operations in those areas also, and we have also arrested a few suspected people in this regard,” he said.

The two arrests were made last week during one such operation. Though no weapons were seized at the time, Marak stated that interrogations were ongoing. “See, as of now, the people whom we have arrested—yes, we got to know that they were planning to do some mischief and commit some crimes. However, when we arrested them, we had not recovered any arms and ammunition at this stage. We have some information that they probably have some arms and ammunition. We are in the process of recovering them; they are being interrogated. And once we get the details, we will try to recover the arms and ammunition that they are suspected to possess.”

What alarms law enforcement is the emerging pattern suggesting these suspects may be tied to legacy militant outfits. “As far as we know, they are remnants of these old groups, and most of these people are basically people who have been arrested earlier in some of the other cases. In fact, the person whom we arrested recently also—he was arrested earlier as a part of the GNLA,” Marak revealed.

Despite the GNLA being declared neutralized by 2018, concerns linger due to the vast stash of weapons it had once hidden across the region. “GNLA had hidden a lot of arms and even after many of the cadres of GNLA have surrendered or have been arrested, even very recently, few arms and ammunitions are still being recovered in different places of Garo Hills, especially in East Garo Hills. So it is a fact that some of the arms of the militant groups were hidden. Whether they are recovering back those weapons for these kinds of criminal activities—that cannot be ruled out,” Marak explained.

He emphasized that Meghalaya Police are treating every input with the utmost seriousness. “As far as the police is concerned, whenever such information is received, we are taking it up with the most seriousness. Like I said, when such things are reported, we are launching operations wherever we get information of such movements.” As the police intensify their crackdown, the arrests mark a sobering reminder that although the GNLA may be gone, its legacy of fear could still cast a shadow—one that law enforcement is determined to extinguish.

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