The truce pact with ANVC, formed in 1995 and proscribed in 2000, was announced and signed in Delhi on July 23, 2004 when DD Lapang was the chief minister.
The media was surprised when it was learnt that the ceasefire was officially signed as the Press was in the dark about the developments which culminated in the official signing of ceasefire till it was announced in Delhi on July 23, 2004.
The signatories who were part of the ceasefire in New Delhi included the officials from the Centre, the state and a seven-member ANVC delegation.
Those who signed the tripartite truce were ANVC general secretary Wanding K. Marak and joint secretary Janggam Momin. Meghalaya Government was represented by the then chief secretary PJ Bazely and then director general of police, L Sailo.
The Centre was represented by the then secretary, Border Management under Union Ministry of Home affairs AK Rastogi and the then joint secretary of Home in-charge Northeast, Rajeev Agarwal.
250 cadres of ANVC had entered into ceasefire with both the Centre and the State and the militant outfit also agreed to keep the weapons numbering around 70 in the custody of the police. The publicity secretary of the ANVC, Arist Sengsrang M Sangma spoke to The Shillong Times about how the outfit views a decade old ceasefire.
Q: How do you look back at the past 10 years after ANVC signed peace talks with Centre and the State on July 23, 2004? What were the ups and downs over the years?
A: When we came over ground after the ceasefire, we were all inexperienced. We thought that everyone who came to us, were genuine sympathizers, but we found that most of them were only using us for their own political or business benefits.
These people have maligned our image. Also, there has been desertion in the outfit, from cadres to our most trusted officers for reasons best known to them. In spite of all these drawbacks, we are happy that we are still adhering to the agreement we signed with the government. Except for the few deserters, who were in any case unstable and ideologically unsound, our organisation still remains strong and committed towards the cause that we took an oath to uphold when each and every one of us joined the organisation.
Also, over these ten years, we have made friends and found genuine sympathisers from the general public to police and government officers etc. As for our achievements, if you take a look at the appendices of the memorandum that we submitted to the Centre, you can see that a number of those demands have been fulfilled or are in the process of being fulfilled by the government, e.g. NH 44E, Chokpot to Jetra road, Government Medical College, upgradation of NEHU, upgradation of the agriculture and horticulture sectors, Governor’s house, etc.
Q: There were a lot of problems during the last 10 years as many deserted ANVC. GNLA was formed by deserted cadre Sohan Shira and also ANVC-breakaway led by Rimpu and Mukost. The Achik Tiger Force was formed by some cadres of ANVC. The question is why they deserted ANVC, is it because of delay in peace settlement or easy money or are there other reasons for the formation of the splinter groups?
A: The reasons for the (formation of) splinter groups are many, but a major factor would be the delay on the part of the government in reaching a final solution on peace settlement with ANVC. Then, there is the lure of easy money. And anyone who joins the organization without any ideology can be swayed by such temptations. Once the chaff has been blown away by the wind, what remains behind is the grains fit to be consumed.
Q: The State and the Centre have agreed to strengthen GHADC as per the draft peace pact and the ANVC has scaled down from the earlier demand of Garoland Autonomous Council (GAC) and the statehood or Greater Garoland. Does it mean that you have given up the demand for a separate state for Garos. What is the reason?
A: The scaling down of the demand for a Greater Garoland and Garoland Autonomous Council to the strengthening of the GHADC as per the draft peace pact does not mean that we have given up the movement for Greater Garoland.
It only means that we want peace in Garo Hills, first and foremost, and an end to our hostilities with the government.
As per our suggestions in the draft peace agreement for the strengthening of the GHADC, it will not benefit the GHADC alone but other autonomous district councils of the country as well, because in order to implement our suggestions, an amendment has to be made in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, thereby affecting all other autonomous district councils.
The Centre has agreed to this and this, we feel, is a step forward in the right direction.
As for the demand for a Greater Garoland, once our final peace agreement is signed, we will still take our movement forward through peaceful means and through various political and social platforms. Only when people are united towards a common goal can we achieve what we desire to achieve in the first place.
Through years of experience, we have found that taking up arms is not the only way to fight for our aspirations, that we believe in, there are many more effective and peaceful means and our intention is to employ those peaceful means.
Q: There is a spurt in violent incidents in Garo Hills due to the increase in the number of militant outfits. What will be your solution to address the problem?
A: As per our observations, the increase in the number of militant outfits and violence in Garo Hills is not because of any ideological or revolutionary aspirations, but the lure of easy money. The only solution would be to clean up the Government of things like corruption, nepotism, complacency, ineffectiveness, incompetence, etc. I think it does not need any further explanation.
Q: The Centre says no more talks with GNLA and other splinter groups, do you subscribe to it. Do you feel that the Centre should still call them for talks to end violence in Garo Hills?
A: I think that the Centre’s stand is a bit harsh, because not all who enter into this sort of life are criminals or criminally inclined. What the Centre should do is call them all for talks with the condition that all those involved in heinous crimes, like the murder of the woman at Raja Ronggat, should be held responsible and punished in a court of law.
Q: There are always allegations of politicians having nexus with militants. Whether ANVC enjoys any political patronage or got support from any political parties? For example, refer to the statement of ANVC-B self styled commander-in-chief Mukosh Marak that he and Rimpu Marak (Torik)-when they were still with ANVC- had carried out what they were ordered by the Chairman of ANVC Dilash Marak to talk to Garo legislators to support the Government led by Mukul Sangma during a political crisis. Mukosh had claimed that Rimpu had met Mukul Sangma and subsequently Mukosh had called up Garo legislators for their support. Mukosh had also stated that the nexus was not between Rimpu and Mukul, but it was between Dilash and Mukul. Your comments?
A: If the ANVC had any political patronage, do you still think that even after 10 long years under the Tripartite Ceasefire agreement, a final settlement cannot be reached? As for statements made by Mukosh, who is a deserter, it seems to me that anyone these days can give a press release to the media and the media will publish it and treat it as the gospel truth without first verifying the facts.
Q: What are the suggestions you had put forward in the draft peace settlement with the Government?
A: As of now it is confidential.
Q: What are your expectations about the final peace settlement as it is scheduled in August after the budget session?
A: We are expecting a positive outcome after the budget session and we are hopeful that the new government will not undo what the previous government has done. The government has come full circle because, if you recall, it was the previous NDA government at the Centre that had initiated dialogue with us.
Q: There were always allegations that even after the ceasefire the ANVC cadres were engaged in criminal activities. Are these allegations true?
A: If you look back at the last 10 years, you can see that some members of the ANVC against whom allegations of criminal activities have been leveled at, have eventually deserted the outfit and either formed their own organization or joined another outfit . Some of these allegations may or may not have been true, but all of these allegations have been done to malign the image of the ANVC and to destabilize the peace process.
Q: Some ANVC cadres were involved in the assault on 12 Tura girls. Whether any actions were taken against them?
A: The involvement of ANVC cadres in this incident has only been put forward by conspiracy theorists and not based on factual evidence. Most of the “revelations” about the involvement of ANVC cadres has only been made from hearsay, and done only to malign the image of the ANVC. If there is an ANVC cadre involved, then he has done so in his capacity as an individual and that does not mean that he represents the organization.
Q: Any other observations, comments to make?
A: We would like to request the State and Central Governments to call the GNLA and other groups for negotiations and just like our interlocutor PC Haldar asked us to bring our breakaway faction ANVC-B to the negotiating table, there should also be conditions to GNLA to bring their breakaway faction, namely ASAK, along with them to the negotiating table and the same goes for the ANVC-B and their breakaway UALA. There should be a genuine initiative from the government to bring peace to Garo Hills