Govt verifying reports of KSU leader: Mukul

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today said his government is verifying reports of the influential Khasi Students Union (KSU) leader joining a banned militant outfit and stressed the need to aggressively pursue a strategy to deal with the root cause of militancy.
The Chief Minister's remarks came after KSU vice-president Federick Kharmawphlang tendered his resignation before the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) and reportedly announced his association with the outfit in an attempt to safeguard the interests of the indigenous tribals.
"We will have to find out other links whether this person (Kharmawphlang) has nexus with the HNLC from before," the Chief Minister told reporters after addressing an election rally.

"This can also be the tactic of the Opposition or it can be other sources which are instrumental in creating that kind of mindset in people," he said.
Refuting the claim made by the KSU leader that the government's delaying tactic on the issue of Inner Line Permit (ILP) forced him to join the arms struggle, the Chief Minister said the root cause of this situation that is cropping up in this region has to be addressed in a comprehensive manner.
Stating that today problem of militancy is galore in this part of the country in spite of the efforts of the Government to neutralise any activities of the militant outfits and even to deter mushrooming of other outfits, the Chief Minister said there is need to 'aggressively pursue' the strategy which will be capable of dealing with the actual root cause of the problem.

There is already a situation which can be convincingly concluded that as far as Meghalaya is concerned, even for achieving statehood, it never needed shedding of blood, he added.
Meanwhile, KSU leaders informed they are yet to receive the resignation letter tendered by its vice-president before joining the HNLC.