SHILLONG, July 20: Director-General of Police (DGP) Lajja Ram Bishnoi on Wednesday backed the state government’s decision to give a safe passage to the banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) for the proposed peace talks.
Reminded that the state police in the past had maintained that peace talks with the HNLC was out of the question, Bishnoi said talks were necessary to ensure permanent peace prevailed in the magnificent state of Meghalaya.
“The police always want peace. We support the initiative taken by the government,” he said.
On the status of the peace talks, the DGP said that the peace process was progressing in the right direction.
“Let us wait for some days and the people of Meghalaya will get some good news,” he said.
Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui also said that the state government wants the proposed peace talks with the proscribed outfit to reach its logical conclusion.
“We want the peace talks to be a success with the objective to promote peace and harmony in the state. The exercise to initiate the peace talks with the banned outfit had started a while back,” he said.
Recalling that the state government had appointed former IAS officer PS Dkhar as the interlocutor, he said the HNLC has also appointed HNYF president Sadon K Blah as its representative.
He said the HNLC had accepted the state government’s offer for unconditional talks.
Rymbui refused to divulge any details about the peace talks.
Asked on the free passage given to the HNLC cadres, the minister said did not want to discuss the nitty-gritty since details were being worked out.
Rymbui also refused to reveal how many HNLC cadres were stationed in Shillong for the peace talks.
