From Our Correspondent
TURA: In a set back to the State Government, the banned GNLA has ruled out any large scale surrender.
Both the State and the Centre had ruled out any talks with the GNLA in the past and instead wanted the militants to come and surrender and deposit their arms and ammunition.
However, ruling out surrender, the militant outfit reiterated conditional talks with the Government on the demand for a separate state for Garos.
The GNLA, while denying reports about the plan of its top leaders to surrender in the near future, however, reiterated its willingness to hold talks with the Government over its demand for a separate Garo state.
“There is no question of surrender when we have already committed ourselves for the greater cause of Garoland. We have already completed six years in the struggle,” informed a GNLA leader, who identified himself as Bikdot Nikjang Marak, the self-styled political secretary of the outfit.
He added that the GNLA would be ready to hold talks with the Meghalaya Government and the Centre if they so desire.
“We welcome any discussion across the table and we are ready for such a dialogue at any point of time,” Bikdot added.
ANVC (B) stand: On the other hand, the ANVC (B) has made it clear that the outfit would go ahead with the settlement even as Sengbirth N Marak alias Norrok seems to have floated a new militant outfit, United A’chik Liberation Army (UALA).
In a statement issued here on Thursday, ANVC (B) chairman Rimpu Marak said, “With or without Norrok, ANVC (B) will go ahead with the settlement.”
According to ANVC (B), the outfit would not allow the initiative which aims to empower the common people and bring in massive change to the State’s socio-political activities to be disrupted by any group.
The ANVC (B), however, is skeptic on the delay of the entire peace process as according to him, the delay may open up avenues for splinter groups to rise which in turn may affect the tripartite initiative.
“Our appeal to the people is to focus on restoring peace in the State,” the statement added.
It was in January that the ANVC and the ANVC (B) leaders signed the draft peace pact which is pending for final clearance by the Centre.