Mukul lauds effort by state police in Rajkhowa’s surrendering

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 12, 2020

Leader of Opposition, Mukul Sangma on Thursday congratulated the state police for its effort to ensure the surrendering of top leaders of the ULFA. 

“I must express my deep sense of appreciation as they have been trained to be the best and they have proved that they are worth it,” Sangma told reporters

The outfit’s deputy commander-in-chief Dhristi Rajkhowa (50) surrendered in South West Garo Hills, bordering Bangladesh on Wednesday.

Along with him, three others- 25-year-old Rup Jyoti Rabha, 22-year-old Babul Rabha and 27-year-old Rahul Hazarika were detained.

Stating that he had also raised the issue in the House about the movement of Rajkhowa in South Garo Hills, West Garo Hills and East Garo Hills, the former chief minister said, this movement has been on since 2018- 2019.

“Last time when Sohan D Shira, the commander in chief of GNLA was terminated during the police encounter in East Garo Hills, Rajkhowa was there, he managed to escape but he is completely acquainted with that terrain.

Rajkhowa has been the main link between various militant outfits in the western part of our state and ULFA and they raised many militant outfits. In fact, GNLA received active help from ULFA through Rajkhowa and many of those ambush against government security agencies were all done through him, he is an explosive expert. He was quite evasive,” Mukul Sangma said.

“We have been able to see this particular second in rank leader of the ULFA surrendering. This surrendering hasn’t happen just like that because there was obviously there was a fear to be caught and on the run up for Assam elections there are bilateral engagement between India and Bangladesh in respect of internal security so there are lots of aggressive operations going on the other side as on the other side of the border along the southern slope of Meghalaya in Bangladesh there are quite number of areas where Rajkhowa has his hideouts,” he said.

Meanwhile, the leader of opposition said that he believes if this synergy between both the nations and Bangladesh does not remain a safe haven for insurgency outfits from the NE region, others will also slowly surrender one by one.