Shillong, Aug 26: After questions over whether militants are regrouping in Meghalaya have sparked fresh debate, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today clarified that while intelligence inputs are coming in, there is no confirmation of regrouping.
Recently, Leader of the Opposition Dr Mukul Sangma flagged concerns about unemployed youths being lured into joining militant groups. Subsequently, the Director General of Police (DGP), Idashisha Nongrang, said that they have received intel and are thoroughly looking into it.
“Activities at different times do happen in different areas. It’s like a graph that goes up and down. We have seen in the past small incidents, people coming together here and there. Many times they turn out to be small-time thieves or dacoit groups,” Conrad Sangma said.
The CM admitted that inputs about movements keep reaching security agencies, but stressed that these cannot be directly linked to militant regrouping. “To conclude that regrouping is happening is not correct at all. But at the same time, we are not closing that chapter because it could be,” he added.
The CM also pointed to changing dynamics across the international border as a factor that cannot be ignored. “The situation in Bangladesh is not the same as last year. Different activities across the border are emerging, which are affecting the overall security situation. This makes it critical for us to keep monitoring developments,” he said.
He further explained that intelligence reports are received daily and are subjected to verification. “Multiple inputs come to us, but until verified, we cannot conclude that regrouping is happening. Every time we probe, we often find they are dacoit groups, and then the matter closes. But yes, information is coming in regularly,” Conrad Sangma clarified.
