TURA, March 11 � Ampati town in Garo Hills today staged a rally in defiance of the indefinite bandh called by Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA). It also sought an immediate end to the bandh that has brought life to a standstill in the district.
The GNLA had called for a 12 hour strike in the five Garo Hills districts while singling out Ampati town for an indefinite bandh.
The rally was joined in large numbers by nearly 2000 residents. Ampati is the home constituency of CM, Dr Mukul Sangma. The rally resolved to fight the bandh call while also entreating upon the GNLA to withdraw their bandh call on the town.
The rally took a resolution to start normal life beginning tomorrow. Shops would open as usual, schools would follow the same regulations as it did before the bandh and daily wage labourers would resume work in their localities, the residents resolved.
�We, the people of Ampati, will not tolerate the indefinite bandh call by the GNLA only for the Ampati constituency from March 12�, said the resolution.
Meanwhile, a day after the killing of four policemen, the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) has welcomed the proposal for talks, on the condition that the Meghalaya Government is serious in its offer.
Welcoming the offer of the government for negotiations, the outfit said that if the government is serious about its intention then they can come forward.
Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi had in his first address to the State Assembly on Monday made an offer for conditional talks to the outfit and HNLC on the condition that the outfits eschew violence and give up their anti-national stance.
