No talks with rebels: Centre

SHILLONG: The Centre will not initiate peace talks with any militant outfit at the moment, said Home Ministry official Satyendra Garg on Thursday.
Satyendra Garg, joint secretary, Home, in charge of the North East, while replying to questions by reporters on whether the Centre is open for talks with GNLA and HNLC, said if the Centre’s intervention is required, it would intervene but it is at the moment not considering any proposals.
He added that for the Centre to come to the talks table, the groups have to first abjure violence and abide by the Constitution.
The Garo National Liberation Army, or GNLA, and the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council, or HNLC, had earlier expressed their willingness to come forward for peace talks with the government.
The State Governemnt and the Centre has so far held peace talks with ANVC and its splinter group, besides signing a peace pact with the United A’chik Liberation Army (UALA) in 2015.