GNLA reiterates demand for Garoland
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network
Shillong, September 15 2014:
The Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) on Monday has reiterated its demand for a separate Garoland state while also indicating that the return of their Commander in Chief (C-In-C) would not augur well for the Meghalaya Police after reports of Shira escaping India to Bangladesh, fearing operations against the outfit.
"I never left my ground from a fight and my return will surely serve a big blow to the Meghalaya Police.
Garoland is our goal and if required, all of us in GNLA will shed blood for it," said Sohan D.Shira in a statement issued by GNLA senior cadre, Savio Marak.
According to the release the C-in-C had stated, "Bangladesh is merely a route to various other countries that we use frequently for our business.
Our business is our fight for Garoland and the fight requires better arms and technologies for the future which those countries provide.
It is na�ve of the Meghalaya police and its intelligence to think that I ran away to Bangladesh" .
The outfit termed the stories of the fleeing of Shira and the ensuing criticism as false and fabricated and showed their affiliation to their leader.
"Sohan is our leader and as per his latest decision, he believes that beyond all criticisms pouring in because of false police stories, our organization must endure these fabricated operations, false accusations, as Garoland matters the most," said Marak.
"It is still the biggest and only driving force of GNLA that dampens our fear to stand and fight against the mighty forces of the government.
We believe in Garoland and we know what it requires to fuel the fight till we reach there," said Marak in the release speaking on behalf of Shira.
He further said that because of large scale propaganda by the government, the issue of Garoland may have become a dream and a laughing story to many, but was serious to them.
Taking a pot shot at the Meghalaya Police, the outfit said that if the police was so intent on tracking Sohan, they should also try and track shamed cop Nurul Islam.
Islam, a Meghalaya cop arrested on charges for raping two minor girls escaped from police custody in June last year.
He allegedly molested a 14-year-old girl and her elder sister inside the Ampati police station on March 13 last year.
Later on March 31 last year, he raped the elder sister (17) at gun point.