By Our Reporter
Shillong: The breakaway faction of the Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) has asserted that it is ready to enter into talks with the State Government over its demands.
Talking to The Shillong Times on Saturday over phone from an undisclosed location, ANVC (B) ‘chairman’ Rimpu N Marak said, “We are ready for talks as ultimately negotiation is the only way to solve the issues.”
“We expect that the Government will initiate the talks as soon as possible,” Marak said.
When asked about the demands of the outfit, Marak said that the outfit is not demanding for a separate Garo state but a separate administrative setup for Garos in general.
“We want a separate setup so that development and prosperity can come in our areas,” he added.
The ANVC (B) leader alleged that the split in the outfit came after the group was deliberately sidelined and not brought to the fore.
According to Marak, when the ANVC entered into a truce agreement with the State and the Central governments, the ‘chairman’ of the outfit hardly used to attend any meetings which is one of the reasons for the delay in fulfillment of their demands.
“I will ensure that I attend every meeting so that talks can proceed at a fast pace,” he added.
The ANVC (B) leader also mentioned the outfit’s plans to have designated camps for its cadres in certain areas the location of which would be jointly decided by the Government and the ANVC (B) leaders.
It may be mentioned that the State Government has also shown keen interest in initiating talks with the breakaway group of the ANVC.