Villagers take out a rally at Resubelpara village in Meghalaya’s East Garo Hills district. Telegraph picture

Guwahati, May 10: Public protest against militants active in the Assam-Meghalaya boundary areas seems to be getting louder.

After the strong protest by people in Garo hills in Meghalaya forced the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) to call off its 300-hour strike recently, villagers living along the inter-state boundary in Assam’s Kamrup district, too, are taking a tough stand against militants.

Fed up with ransom demands by militants and the constant fear of communal flare-up by “anti-socials”, people living in at least 83 remote villages along the boundary areas in the district are all set to join hands and say no to ransom demands and “ban” entry of militants.

The villagers, mostly belonging to the Garo community have convened a meeting on May 16 at Kinangaon, nearly 80km from here, in which villagers will pledge their support to police and security forces in their fight against militants.

Two militant groups, the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) and Rabha Viper Army (RVA) are active in the hilly inter-state areas, where development projects have been affected because of the boundary dispute between the two neighbouring states.

The meeting is being convened by the Garo National Council (GNC) and Garo Women’s Council (GWC), two umbrella organisations of an estimated 40,000 Garo people, living along the inter-state boundary areas.

Police officers in Kamrup district and army personnel deployed in the areas to counter militants will also attend the meeting.

“Already, there is growing public support against militants and their anti-social acts because of our constant awareness programmes in villages. We have also prohibited sale and consumption of liquor and other drugs. On May 16, we will publicly announce our crusade against drugs, which often creates tension in the villages. We have also decided to protest if there is any ransom demand by militants or any other acts which may hamper peace in the areas,” president of the Garo council Benedict Areng told The Telegraph today.

GNLA, which has already been termed a terrorist organisation by New Delhi, is mostly active in West and East Garo Hills districts in Meghalaya but remote areas in Kamrup and Goalpara districts, too, have been affected, as they are often used by militants as a transit route or for shelter.

The GNLA is demanding a separate state for Garos while RVA claims to fight for the interest of Rabha population living in the areas, mostly in the neighbouring Goalpara district. The two districts have witnessed spurt in ransom demands by both rebel groups.

The development assumes importance amid claims by Assam police that some Garo villagers living in the areas were providing shelter to GNLA militants.

Some non-indigenous organisations too have joined the Garo council in Kamrup district in their fight against militants.

The Kamrup district unit of the Non-Tribal Security Forum along with the Ajanajati Garo Sanmilita Samannay Samiti, GNC and GWC submitted a joint memorandum to Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on May 5, pledging their support against militants. They also demanded development projects in the remote areas.