Tura, March 16: There will be a break in Garo National Liberation Army's indefinite strike in Ampati constituency in South West Garo Hills of Meghalaya tomorrow but it will resume on Wednesday.

The strike, called on March 9, was also withdrawn yesterday. It was called to protest alleged "police highhandedness" and "fake encounters".

Hospitals, pharmacies, the electricity department, milk vans, students and authorities conducting examinations are exempted from the strike.

The outfit in a release issued by its joint publicity secretary Garo Mandei Marak said the strike had been called off for a day considering an appeal from a large number of students studying outside the state. It, however, reiterated that the strike would continue until officials responsible for Oragitok encounter were suspended. On March 4, Sengbath Marak, son of a village headman, was killed in an encounter at Oragitok in West Garo Hills.

The outfit condemned Shalom Meghalaya, a peace movement in Garo hills, and A'chik Baptist Dalgipa Krima (ABDK), a Baptist missionary organisation in Garo hills, for their stand. "Shalom Meghalaya is too sweet but crooked in their hearts," the release said.

It criticised ABDK for its "impartial judgment" in condemning the ambush at Panda reserve forest near Rongara in which four police personnel were killed last week but failing to denounce the "murder" of five innocents at Mrigre village in West Garo Hills and the "fake encounter" at Oragitok.

The outfit warned of action against persons responsible for defying the strike "in appropriate time" and added that it would be intensified.

"We have instructed our area commanders to shoot at sight any vehicles supplying rations to Ampati, specially those coming in from Mankachar, Assam."

It also cautioned leaders against conducting public meetings.