SHILLONG, Feb 8: The banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has expressed its willingness to hold talks with the state and central governments.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the outfit said it was ready to talk within the ambit of the Indian Constitution and without any preconditions.
“After many consultations with some elders recently, we have decided to come into a peaceful agreement with the GOM and GOI. As of now, we are ready to talk within the ambit of the Indian constitution and we are ready to have talks without any preconditions,” HNLC general secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw said.
But the outfit said the Standstill Agreement and the Instrument of Accession shall not be included in the talks.
Lobbing the ball in the government’s court, Nongtraw said the government should appoint an interlocutor officially and show its seriousness.
“Our aim is to end this conflict and at this point of time, we believe that we can achieve whatever we want through peaceful means provided the sincerity of the government,” he said.
“While it is long overdue, we believe that opening and sustaining the space for dialogue and consensus-building will lead to a peaceful resolution of the age-old conflict that has been going on for the last three decades. Now the ball is in the government’s court to decide whether it wants to give peace a chance or to continue this conflict,” the statement read.
The HNLC had backed out of talks in 2021 after its former general secretary, Cheristerfield Thangkhiew was killed in an alleged encounter with the police on August 13.
Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui welcomed the HNLC’s decision and said the government will take its offer up with the Centre.
“The government will take it forward with the Centre to ensure peace and tranquillity in the region and the state,” he told The Shillong Times.
Police said the HNLC has been involved in many criminal activities in the past few years, including the IED blast at Khyndai Lad on January 30.
Recent efforts to hold peace negotiations with the HNLC had failed as the Centre insisted on its members shunning violence and setting no conditions for talks.