Outfit’s strength down to 25 cadres, Police sources claim
SHILLONG: The Union government has not been paying any heed to the State government’s eagerness to invite the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) for peace talks, as it has received intelligence inputs about the dwindling numbers of cadres of the outfit and its gradual disintegration.
“The State government has written two letters to the Union government expressing to need for peace talks with the HNLC. We have also suggested the need to appoint an interlocutor. But the Centre has not responded to any of the letters,” a senior government official said on Sunday.
According to the senior government official, who did not wish to be named, the Union government has not responded to the State government’s letters since it has received inputs from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) as well as the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) about the dwindling strength of the HNLC.
“As per the intelligence inputs received by the Union government, the outfit does not have enough weapons at its disposal,” the official said.
The official further observed that the there is little incentive for the government to pursue peace talks with a toothless outfit since it would have to spend a lot of money in offering surrendering packages to the outfit members as was the case with regards to the peace pact signed with the Garo Hills-based rebel groups.
Incidentally, Meghalaya Police sources have also corroborated the IB claims and confirmed that there are only 25 senior HNLC members including the ‘general secretary’ and the ‘commander-in-chief’ who are active and still at large.
Most of the top leaders have given up arms and settled down to family life in Bangladesh.
According to the police sources, new recruits do not receive any instruction or training since the HNLC does not have any functional training camp.
The police sources also claimed that junior cadres have to engage themselves with betel nut plantations due to financial crunch within the organization which has become more severe following the NGT ban on coal mining in Meghalaya.