SHILLONG: A peace forum from Garo Hills on Tuesday urged Governor KK Paul to direct the State government to initiate peace talks with all the militant groups to once again usher in peace in Garo Hills region.
Under the umbrella of the Unified Peace Movement for Garo Hills (UPMGH), the church and NGO leaders also submitted a memorandum to Paul on the need to initiate peace talks with all the underground outfits.
“We request the government to invite all the militant groups for negotiation. The best option (for peace) is through dialogue and not by hunting them down,’ UPMGH general secretary Rev Fr Januarius S Sangma told reporters.
The forum in the memo highlighted the mushrooming of armed outfits and splinter groups in Garo Hills. “Extortion, illegal collection, kidnapping, robbery seem to be the order of the day,” Rev Fr Sangma said. He also urged the state government to allot designated camps to the breakaway faction of the Achik National Volunteer Council (B).
The organisation said the ANVC (B) had agreed for peace talks but have not been assigned any designated camps so that their cadres do not scatter and thereby resort to anti-social activities.