GUWAHATI: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma admitted that some youth in the state were embracing the gun due to joblessness and said the state’s coalition government was taking efforts to make the youth employable.
“We have taken up various programmes to create job opportunities,” Sangma told journalists.
The statement was made against the backdrop of the formation of a militant outfit “Lawei ba Phyrnai” (Bright Future) by a group of educated jobless youth.
It had sent two threat mails to the CM recently. The founder of the group was arrested by the police two days ago.
In the first email, the outfit had threatened to trigger bomb blasts every single week beginning May 1. In the second, it had demanded the release of the jailed leader of insurgent group Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) Julius K Dorphang and warned of blowing up a school in the event of failure to do so by the government.
The state’s principal opposition party All India Trinamool Congress slammed the government for allegedly doing very little for the youth.
Party leader and former CM Mukul Sangma alleged the government was least bothered about creating jobs.
Reacting to the formation of the new insurgent group, he said the unemployment situation in the state was such that even persons with post-graduate degrees were applying for Grade IV government jobs.
Stating that these are warning signals, Sangma said the next five years would be crucial for the state which is going to the polls early next year.
In the recent past, he had cautioned the government multiple times about militancy rearing its ugly head in the state.
Recently, the HNLC, whose leaders are believed to be operating from neighbouring Bangladesh, had come forward for unconditional talks and the government also responded positively. The process of peace is on with the appointment of interlocutors by both sides.