SHILLONG, April 9: The state unit of the BJP has called upon the purported newly-formed insurgent group “Lawei ba Phyrnai” to adopt the policy of electing the right representatives and a new government to meet its demands instead of taking the path of violence.
Pointing out that Assembly elections are just eight months away, state BJP chief Ernest Mawrie said, “My appeal to them is let’s go to election, elect good representatives and form a new government which will give good governance and bring peace and development.”
He said people are facing a lot of hardships. The state has the highest unemployment rate which has affected economy. The elections are not far off and it is the opportune time to elect the right government so that public grievances could be addressed, he said.
Stating that the BJP is concerned about peace in the state, Mawrie said, “One of the examples is the HNLC. After I had taken over as the party’s state president, I placed it before the public that we want to bring them for peace talks. The process has now started with the appointment of the interlocutors from both sides.”
“I request the group to let us maintain peace in our state. If they have any grievances, they should come in the right way and in the right manner,” he added.
Just weeks after the government had appointed an interlocutor to talk to the HNLC, the Lawei ba Phyrnai sent two threat emails to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.
In the second email, it demanded the release of former HNLC leader, Julius K Dorphang, and threatened to blow up a lower primary school if the demand was not fulfilled.
The second email was shared with several media houses in the state, including The Shillong Times, by the publicity secretary of the group. He said he was a teacher before his contract was terminated. He demanded that Dorphang is released and left alone inside a bus at the ISBT platform at 10 pm sharp on April 9, 2022 (Saturday).
Dorphang is currently serving a 25-year sentence after being convicted of raping a minor girl in 2017.
