SHILLONG: The banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has appreciated the BJP government at the Centre and members of Art of Living for approaching the outfit for negotiations but flayed the Congress government for their failure to do so.
“The organisation expressed its gratefulness to the BJP government and Art of Living for their effort to call us to the negotiation table,” HNLC publicity secretary, Sainkupar Nongtraw said in a statement issued here.
According to him, the arrest of the two Art of Living members was illegal as they had taken the right approach by calling on the HNLC to the negotiation table.
The duo, Khroo Lamsalanki Pariat (39) of Iawmusiang Jowai and Samir Jolly (44) of Noida, were arrested in West Jaintia Hills on Monday while they were heading towards Sylhet in Bangladesh to meet top HNLC members.
Nongtraw said the arrested persons were from the central government in Delhi and had permission to roll out talks with the outfit.
Questioning their arrest, he went on to argue as to what prevented the police from arresting Cabinet minister Roshan Warjri when she spoke over phone to the general secretary of the organisation without the knowledge of the government.
Criticising the then Congress-led UPA government, Nongtraw said, “It is the Congress government in Delhi that has not taken the matter (of calling for talks) seriously even as the HNLC had made attempts for talks since the year 2004.”
He also flayed the state government for declining talks in 2014 after making offers earlier.
