SHILLONG: The state government has asserted that it is pursuing the offer of the banned militant outfit, Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) for political dialogue and is working towards tripartite talks between the Centre, the state and the outfit.
Welcoming the decision of the HNLC for peace talks, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong recently said, “The state government is serious about the matter and as it is not just a state subject so the government needs to sit with the Centre so that tripartite talks can take place at the earliest’.
The HNLC had made it clear that it will not surrender before holding talks with the government.
Asked how serious is the government and how much of progress has been made in this regard, Tynsong said, ‘We are pursuing the matter seriously but we cannot say as to when will the talks materialise’.
The HNLC had also made such offer in the past but not much headway was made as the state government’s contention was that the rebel group should first lay down arms which was not acceptable to the outfit. The HNLC recently owned responsibility for planting an IED weighing 7 kg which was recovered from the premises of the under-construction Meghalaya Coke in East Jaintia Hills.
