Local youths in Meghalaya's Garo Hills region have formed a peace council to counter the problem of militancy related incidents and to restore peace in the area.
The A' chik Peace Volunteers Council (APVC) which was formed recently by a group of educated youths have also taken a serious note on the breakdown of law and order in the region which was a resulted of the militant activities.
"Our mission is to establish peace in Garo Hills and we will achieve our objective through appeal and persuasion," APCV convener Che Guevera Marak said.
The Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), United Achik Liberation Army (UALA), Liberation Achik Elite Force (LAEF), Achik National Volunteers' Council - Breakaway (ANVC.B) and many other splinter groups of these armed organization have killed 38 people in the past one year alone, A'chik Peace Volunteers Council (APVC) convener Che Guevara Marak said.
Among those killed were traders, coal labourers and policemen besides other dacoity related activities committed by the armed groups, he said.
A detailed study and analysis conducted revealed that the militants have also not spared church and missionaries for extorting money, Marak said.
"They kill or abduct a trader or a businessman or a civilian and the entire trading community or business community or the civil society dances to their tune," the organization said adding "So, the killing innocent people are their investments, which yields good return with crores of extorted money."
The APVC further termed the militants as criminals and urged the state machineries to take strong action according to the law of the land.
