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Meghalaya: Email announces launch of rebel group, threatens attacks over unemployment
State home minister Lahkmen Rymbui said that police have been directed to act on the matter and they are doing their duty
Shillong: The Meghalaya Police have launched a probe after an email was sent to chief minister Conrad K Sangma on April 1 announcing the launch of rebel group Lawei ba Phyrnai with the threat to attack educational institutions in protest against rising unemployment in the state.
The email said 37 “well qualified and talented jobless youth” have formed the group and warned that “bombs will go off every single week starting 1st May”.
State home minister Lahkmen Rymbui said that police have been directed to act on the matter. “Police are doing their duty. So let us see,” he said.
An officer of the deputy police superintendent rank is probing the matter.
Special director general of police I Nongrang said a case has been registered and has been entrusted to a “sufficiently ranked” officer. “We are on the job. It is too premature to say anything about it, except our people, will deal with the matter with utmost diligence.”
An official monitoring the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said nothing is being taken for granted. “Adequate preventive measures are already in place, and police have increased surveillance.”
The email came days before the high court on April 5 froze all government recruitment till a formal roster system is introduced.
The email, a copy of which HT has seen, warned the group’s first target is the Meghalaya Board of Secondary Education building, followed by St Anthony’s School and College, where the sender claimed to have graduated from. “And even NEHU (North-Eastern Hill University) where I received my diploma. And yes, we will keep planting bombs till you and your government come up with a solution to employ every single Meghalayan...,” the email said.
“...I and 36 other well-qualified and talented jobless youths have formed an outfit. A terror outfit, of course -- with free sponsored arms and ammunition -- whose capability and strength will come to display in a couple of weeks from now.”
The unemployment rate in Meghalaya was the third-lowest in the country at 1.5% compared to 8.10% nationally, the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy said in February.
The email sender claimed to be an unemployed first-class chemistry graduate and referred to proscribed rebel group Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council’s surrender. “But don’t ever think you’ll get us to do the same,” the email said. It added the intent of the email was not to seek employment through the “backdoor”, which has always proved futile.
The email was also sent to governor Satya Pal Malik, Meghalaya high court chief justice Sanjib Banerjee, labour minister Sanbor Shullai and seven officers of his department. The email said it has been sent from the personal computer of an “insanely corrupted DTO officer.”
Most insurgency movements earlier in the state were based on separatist ideologies. The first rebel outfit of the state was formed in 1992 to protect the interests of Meghalaya’s indigenous population. It soon split before A’chik National Volunteers Council emerged and demanded a separate Garo Land. The groups had close ties with the other insurgent groups in the region. The militancy has all but ended.
