SHILLONG: The proscribed HNLC on Wednesday reiterated its readiness for talks but made it clear that it was not ready for demobilization and disarmament.
The outfit was reacting to Chief Minister Mukul Sangma’s statement that the Government was willing to talk peace with any outfit but would not discuss the ideologies of the outfit.
In a statement e-mailed to media houses on Wednesday, the HNLC said their main agenda in coming forward for peace talks was to achieve a political solution to the burning problems.
“Simply surrendering without any dialogue will take us back by ten years. We do not want to end up like the surrendered cadres who along with the help of the police department were resorting to extortion and elimination of our cadres,” HNLC publicity secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw said in the statement.Demanding equal treatment, the outfit said that the Chief Minister should avoid being one-sided to prevent disunity among the people of Meghalaya.
“We deserve to be treated as equal as the HNLC was born out of Achik Liberation Matgrik Army (ALMA) and Hynniewtrep Achik Liberation Council (HALC). The Achik and the Hynniewtrep should not be divided politically but they should remain united for lasting peace in the region,” Nongtraw said.
The outfit stated that it has been patiently waiting all the while keeping in mind the promise made by the Chief Minister for appointing an interlocutor to further the peace talks.
“The true way to move forward is by what we call a ‘political solution to our conflict’, through open dialogue, involving not only the HNLC and the government but also the most popular and diverse social expressions,” he said.
“We do not see that the solution is the demobilization and disarmament of the HNLC. The formula of peace talks will fail miserably because the essences of the conflicts in the Hynniewtrep were political and social and that gave rise to the armed uprising. We have to go to the cause that gave rise to this and seek solutions,” Nongtraw said.
The HNLC expressed appreciation towards Bindo M. Lanong, Adelbert Nongrum, John Kharshiing and the Council of traditional chiefs of the Hynniewtrep for showing their concerns regarding the peace initiative between the HNLC and the State Government.