Khliehriat: A member of the proscribed outfit, Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), on Thursday surrendered before the Border Security Force (BSF) Meghalaya Frontier chief here.
The self-styled area commander of HNLC, Junel Tongper, surrendered before the IG BSF Meghalaya Frontier, Inderjit Singh Rana, at its Border Outpost at Umkiang in East Jaintia Hills district, a statement issued by the border guarding organisation said.
A resident of Lumphyllut village under Umkiang police station, Tongper had joined the outfit in 2010.
He was arrested in 2015 but later released on bail. He absconded and re-joined the HNLC in November last year.
During the surrender programme, Tongper said he was based at Panaipunjee under the jurisdiction of the Kulaura police station in Moulvibazar district in Bangladesh.
I was misled and misguided due to lack of employment opportunities, he said.
Taking advantage of his economic condition, the HNLC had lured Tongper to join the outfit, and exploited him for carrying out unlawful activities, the BSF IG said.
He said the border protection force in Meghalaya is making all-out efforts to help such misguided youth return to the mainstream.
BSF has also given an assurance that such people will be given the facilities of skill development, vocational training, and remunerative amount post surrender, Rana said.
In the case of Junel Tongper, BSF was continuously in touch with him for the past one year.
The restless and intense efforts of BSF bore fruits and finally Junel Tongper was motivated to join the mainstream. It is a huge blow to militancy in Meghalaya, and more such misguided youths will join the mainstream in times to come, the statement said.
Meanwhile, Rana said that insurgency and militancy prevail in certain pockets due to illiteracy and unemployment.
BSF is encouraging the youth of bordering areas to pursue their career in defence and CAPF services and lead a life of peace, tranquility, and prosperity, the IG said.
