GNLA toeing Maoist line to get vital info

Guwahati: The Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), one of the few remaining active militant outfits in the NE region and operating from the Garo hills area in Meghalaya adjoining Bangladesh, has declared that it has adopted the ‘Maoist style’ of operation in accessing vital information of the state government.
In an email to TOI, joint publicity secretary of the outfit, Garo Mandei Ch Marak, said like the Maoists in Dantewada, the GNLA, too is applying, the same tactics against the government.
The rebel leader revealed this new strategy of the outfit after the group was was held responsible by Meghalaya Police for the killing of two policemen in an IED blast in the remote Rewak region of Siju in South Garo hills region a few weeks ago.
The joint publicity secretary stated that GNLA does not hesitate to claim responsibility of its operation but the outfit was not involved in the Rewak attack.
“We have no plan to do such practices. We have sent numerous mystery operators in north, south and west Khasi hills, to gather crucial data and information about the government. This is to avail the most effective method to do our execution. We have allocated unique secretive delegations like the Maoists as it is done in Dantewada,” the militant leader stated.
The outfit also accused the Assam Police of killing innocent Garo and Rabha youths in Goalpara district of Assam adjoining Garo Hills and later branding them as GNLA militants.
“The news, which appeared on November 21 stating that three GNLA militants were killed in an encounter at Sesapani in Goalpara district, is nothing but another fake encounter drama staged by the Indian Army and the Assam Police. A few months ago, a similar incident took place when two unarmed civilians were killed by Assam Police and the Indian Army alleged to be GNLA cadres. It has been their dirty game to kill innocent Garo,Bodo and Rabha youths and later brand them as militants, ultras and extremists,” said Marak.