SHILLONG, Dec 3: With questions raised on the sincerity of the state government in negotiating with the proscribed HNLC, which had decided to come to the table for parleys, what should now be expected of the central government? Should it fulfil the core demands of the outfit and prevent the situation from deteriorating further? It is yet to unfold.
After the HNLC snub, ex-rebel and state BJP leader Bernard Marak, on Wednesday, stated that if the proscribed outfit has lost its faith in the seriousness of the state government, they can approach the Centre directly.
Marak, who is also the State BJP vice president, said he is willing to initiate a direct channel with Centre, if needed.
This comes against the backdrop of the HNLC formally announcing the decision to withdraw from the tripartite peace parleys citing the government’s lack of seriousness in addressing their core demands.
“I would request the leaders of the organisation that they can approach the Centre directly for talks if they feel the state is not serious. The central government will be serious enough to take the talks at their level,” said the BJP leader.
Asked if he was willing to initiate the talks with Centre, Marak said, “Yes, of course. We want peace. We want the youngsters to come to the mainstream. Why do we need insurgency when we can solve the issues over the table?”
He emphasised that if the issues raised by the outfit are genuine, the Centre will take it up.
“If the state is not taking it up, the only option left is to approach the Centre. If necessary, we will take up the matter because it is a serious issue. These people have come forward in faith and this has to be taken seriously”.
“I myself come from underground background, and I know the aspiration of people who take up arms. We are forced to take up arms because there is lack of seriousness in the government itself. We should look forward towards a better society, which does not betray the people who have faith in the government and have come forward,” he added.
Marak asserted that coming to the table for talks is in itself “a very hard task”. “Communicating and bringing them over to talk is the hardest part and in spite of that, if the government is not taking it seriously, then there is definitely lack of sincerity in the government itself. May be they are not taking it seriously”.
The HNLC move to withdraw from peace talks also drew the concern of the KSU. The student body stated that the Centre should not have a problem in fulfilling the five core demands of the outfit to ensure that the peace talks move ahead.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, KSU general secretary Donald V Thabah reminded that the NSCN(IM), in 2014, had signed the Naga framework even though the negotiation did not reach anywhere so far. “But there was an attempt by the Centre to address matters raised by the NSCN(IM). Even recently, the Centre has signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with ULFA led by Arabinda Rajkhowa,” he recalled.
Thabah also mentioned that the Centre has signed the suspension of operations with various groups in Manipur and also an agreement with one of the factions of the Meitei militant group, UNLF.
If the Centre can sign agreements with these various militant groups from the region, it should not have a problem to sign a similar agreement with the HNLC, the KSU general secretary said. “We also understand that problem of militancy in Meghalaya is not severe as compared to other states of the Northeast. The Centre should take steps to fulfill the five core demands of the HNLC and not to allow the situation to deteriorate,” he said.
Thabah said that the Centre should lift the ban against the HNLC and also provide safe passage to the top leaders of the outfit.
The KSU general secretary said that if both the Centre and state government are sincere with the tripartite peace talks, then they should refrain to book the HNLC leaders in new cases. “Instead of provoking, the Centre and state government should fulfill the five core demands of the outfit to ensure that peace talks head in the right direction,” Thabah said.
