Shillong, February 14: Former ANVC-B leader and BJP Vice President Bernard N Marak has alleged that ex-militants who surrendered their arms have not received the promised rehabilitation package and livelihood assistance from the government. He stated that many former members of militant organizations, including GNLA, ANVC, and ANVC-B, are still waiting for the benefits assured to them when they joined the mainstream.
“I can only say that all those who have joined the mainstream from a militancy background—be it GNLA, ANVC, ANVC-B, and others—most have not received the rehabilitation package. The rehabilitation package assured to them is still pending. The livelihood program and the assistance that were promised when they joined the mainstream have not been followed up by the government,” Marak stated.
He warned of growing dissatisfaction among former militants due to the government’s inaction. “There may not be a rise in militancy, but there is dissatisfaction, discontentment, doubt, and struggle among the former cadets of these different militant organizations. So, I request the government to take care of the youths, especially those who were assured a better life and financial assistance for their livelihood. They should be taken care of so that such rumors do not materialize and those who have given up arms and joined the mainstream get a better life with complete support from the government,” he asserted.
The Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) and its breakaway faction, ANVC-B, were among Meghalaya’s oldest and most notorious Garo militant organizations. In 2014, they formally surrendered arms, signing a tripartite ceasefire agreement that marked the beginning of a long-drawn peace process. ANVC leader Dilash Marak and ANVC-B chief Bernard N Marak signed the disbandment affirmation in the presence of then-Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and his cabinet colleagues at the Dikki Bandi Stadium. Over 500 cadres from both outfits attended the historic surrender ceremony, the first of its kind in the state.