SHILLONG: Former ANVC-B leader Bernard Marak, who joined the BJP as the president of its Tura district unit, has said that the party will try to reach out to GNLA to come to the negotiation table with the government.
Speaking to The Shillong Times over phone on Sunday, the former ANVC-B leader said the party wants GNLA to come to the negotiation table for lasting peace in Garo Hills.
“We are appealing to GNLA leader Sohan Shira and others to come for talks with the government as the need of the hour is peace for a positive change,” Marak said.
Though there is surrender of many splinter groups in Garo Hills coupled with police operations, talks with GNLA, which is the major militant group resorting to large scale violence, is crucial for peace in the region.
Recently, a State government official said that last year the State government had written to the Centre for initiating talks with GNLA but the response from the Centre was that it was not the opportune time.
However, the new BJP district chief said the BJP state leadership would try to convince the Centre that Garo Hills is craving for peace.
“We will highlight the Garo Hills situation before the Centre as once the militancy is on the wane many positive things will take place in the region as the people have to move forward,” he said.
According to Marak, the attempt of the party will be to act as a bridge as “it appears that there is a stalemate since no one is willing to bring the militants to the negotiating table”.
Marak joined BJP in 2014
The former rebel leader, meanwhile, said he had joined the BJP during the time when ANVC-B along with ANVC had signed the peace pact in September, 2014, a fact which was not revealed till date.
When the final agreement was signed, he got the primary membership of the party through online application. Marak said he became the active member of the party in 2015.
Interestingly, Marak had contested as an Independent candidate from Tura for the GHADC polls held last year.
Marak said that though he joined the BJP in 2014, he was silently working for the party in Garo Hills without revealing it as he had to wait for the official formation of new leadership of the state BJP.
Though Shibun Lyngdoh as the party president and three district presidents including Tura were elected in December last year, the formal announcement came only in January this year.
As the district president of the BJP, Marak said he will highlight social and development issues of the Garo Hills region with a special focus on empowerment of youths and people of rural areas.
According to Marak, many central schemes are yet to be implemented in Meghalaya.
“In this context, we will create awareness among the people to avail the central schemes,” he said.
Marak also said the issue of pending salary of GHADC staff will be taken up with the government at the earliest.
