Aizawl: Mizoram state Home Minister R Lalzirliana today stated that the recent split in Hmar People’s Convention- Democratic (HPC-D) into two camps deterred the peace negotiations between the militant outfit and the Mizoram government.
“Despite the Centre’s instructions to the Mizoram government, resumption of peace talks with the HPC-D is not possible as the outfit has split into two. The Mizoram government does not know with which faction – that of Lalhmingthanga Sinate or Zosangzuala – to resume the peace negotiations, with both factions claiming to be original,” Lalzirliana said at the first consultative meeting of Mizoram home department here on Tuesday.
Lalzirliana’s remarks were in reaction to the home ministry’s recent instructions to the state government to resume peace talks with the outfit which had derailed due to misunderstandings between the two last year.
The peace process ran into deadlock when Mizoram government refused to accept “a US citizen” (read Rochunga Pudaite) as HPC-D interlocutor.
The Mizoram government had earlier accused the outfit of violating a suspension of operation (SoO) it had signed with the central government by indulging in underground activities whereas it was supposed to surrender arms in designated camp.
During the meeting, the home minister informed that Union home minister P Chidambaram would visit Mizoram in the near future regarding compensation to displaced Mizo families in Tripura which the Centre recently nodded to.(UNI)
