Meghalaya Govt urges HNLC not to pull out of peace talks

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Jan 5: Spokesperson of the MDA government and cabinet minister Paul Lyngdoh today appealed to the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) not to pull out of the ongoing peace talks.

Speaking to reporters, Lyngdoh said the government has only seen the HNLC’s statement conveying its decision to withdraw from the tripartite peace talks in media reports but officially nothing has been communicated to the government as yet.

“So first, I would appeal to the HNLC not to pull out of the peace talks because a lot of grounds have been covered initially and we would hope that good sense will prevail and we should be able to return to the negotiating table,” he said.

Asked, Lyngdoh said he will not be in a position to say much on the issue since both the chief minister Conrad K Sangma and deputy chief minister in-charge home (police) Prestone Tynsong are presently out of the station.

“But certainly, the government will take a call on the matter and it should be happening very soon once the CM is back,” he added.

He further assured that the matter will be taken priority once the CM and deputy CM in charge home are in town.

On the HNLC’s demand for a general amnesty, Lyngdoh said, “Well, it certainly can be considered depending on the gravity of each of the cases registered but certainly yes, it should be and it will be considered.”

Referring to the NIA cases against the outfit, the spokesperson said, “See those are matters of details but in general the approach should be when you have peace talks it should not be to the detriment of any section and to the interest of only one section so it has to be reciprocal.”

“Based on the principle of reciprocity then only we can take a stand on matters of details but the general approach would be that has to be give and take,” he asserted.

Meghalaya BJP urges HNLC not to ditch peace talks

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Jan 4: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today appealed to the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) to reconsider its decision to withdraw from the tripartite peace talks with the Centre and State government for lasting peace to prevail in the state of Meghalaya.

Addressing the media, BJP national vice president and Meghalaya in charge Dr Chuba Ao said, “We appeal to our militant organization to come forward and join the mainstream and attain peace.”

Party state president Rikman G Momin said, “We need peace so we will request HNLC to come forward to have peace talks with the State or Central government directly.”

He however refused to comment on whether amnesty should be given to the leaders and cadres of the banned Khasi outfit.

Chief spokesperson and former IPS officer M Kharkrang said the party is surprised at the HNLC’s sudden decision to withdraw itself from the peace talks with the government. According to him, it is not possible for the government at one stroke of a pen to drop all cases against the leaders and cadres of the outfit.

“If you have seen the statement the main agenda of the HNLC is to drop all cases against the leaders and cadres of the outfit. I feel they should have waited as it is not easy for the government to just drop these cases especially if cases have been charge-sheeted and are being tried in the courts as once cases are being charge-sheeted, it totally depends on the court. To say that the government at one stroke of a pen to drop all cases is not possible,” he said.

“At the same time, we also have to think about those victims of such cases, they may be your families or relatives, now if the government just to appease one side, drops all cases, what justice will you give to the victims of criminal cases,” he added.

Kharkhrang said it was a hasty decision on the part of the HNLC to withdraw from the peace talks adding “They should have given the peace talks a chance.”

The former IPS officer said, “We are appealing to the HNLC to continue with the peace process and in a given situation, it is a give and take, you cannot make demands and expect all the demands to be met by the government. You have to look at the larger picture, not that just because one issue has not been settled it doesn’t mean you pull yourself out of the peace talks.”

On the HNLC’s apprehension that its top leaders will get arrested once they come overground, Kharkrang however said that the outfit has to believe the government because a safe passage is a safe passage

“If the government has agreed to give them a safe passage, you see the government doesn’t work like that, once they have given in writing that they are giving them a safe passage it is a safe passage so I don’t think so there is any trust deficit in that, the government cannot fool people like that so they have to believe the government,” he said.

Referring to the recent death threat issued by HNLC to Sohra legislator Gavin M Mylliem over the downfall of the MCCL, Kharkrang said, “Personally, I would say that it was uncalled for. You cannot for the ills which have taken place on the company for the last 30-40 years, now you cannot put the blame solely on the sitting MLA. I think it was uncalled for.”

Govt waiting on response from HNLC leadership

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 14: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said the government is waiting for the response from leaders of the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) before deciding on how to move forward with the ongoing peace talks.

“We are waiting for (HNLC’s) response. As and when we are able to get that response we will decide on how to move forward,” Sangma told reporters.

“As I said in talks like these we need to ensure there is movement from all the sections. All the stakeholders need to have a certain level of commitment to the whole discussion. Therefore, as we move forward in discussion mode there are certain areas of concern, some from their side and some from our side and we are all working on that,” he said.

“We have communicated to all of them through our interlocutor and we are waiting for a response from their side,” he added.

The Chief Minister said that the NIA case against HNLC leaders is an old case.

“It is an ongoing process and it is not from the State side, it is from the Centre side and we have already passed on the information to them and that is why I am saying as the talks go forward different areas and different conditions and different talks can be held with the stakeholders from the Central government, from State government and from their side and we will figure out how to move forward,” he said.

“But as I said it is a process and since multiple stakeholders are involved we need to clarify from every side so this will go on,” Sangma said while stating that “yes it is a concern and we have raised it with Delhi also.”

HNLC sets conditions for peace talks

The proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has put forth its conditions for the peace talks.

Informing this, representative of the HNLC and president of the Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) Sadon K Blah said, “We cannot say that the talks have to be unconditional as there are conditions that we have put forward.”

“Talks cannot be hundred per cent unconditional because if it is unconditional we don’t need to talk. There are agendas like political issues and other issues concerning the stand of the HNLC which has been there for the last 35-37 years,” he added.

He said that the issue related to the Instrument of Accession (IOA) and Annexed Agreement (AA) is part of the negotiation.

Stating that the formal talks are yet to take off, Blah said, “Unofficial talks are on but formal talks on agendas are yet to take place. There are issues related to technicalities during the process and we are trying to resolve them.”

The representative of the outfit said that he cannot spell out the agendas of the HNLC as the same will be put forth only when the formal talks have started.

Blah asserted that amnesty is a must to take the peace process forward.

“Whatever criminal cases relating to these rebel groups in India and other parts of the world and in the North East also, waiving of criminal cases is an integral part within the amnesty,” he said while informing that they are yet to discuss amnesty at any level but once the formal talk is held then “we can deal with these criminal cases because the amnesty is a must”.

He further added, “Generally, if we look at the modalities of conducting this peace process in other parts of the North East, we find that amnesty must be there and some kind of ceasefire arrangement, then rehabilitation arrangement have to be there – these are the technicalities we are dealing with right now.”

Also stating that there have been no hurdles in the way of the peace process, the HNLC representative said both the Centre and State governments are committed to starting the peace talks at the earliest.

“The government has already endorsed a safe passage for the leaders of the outfit who are part-taking in their entire process of peace,” he said.

“The former HNLC leader (L) Cheristerfield Thangkhiew has neither participated in the peace process at that point of time and secondly he was not a surrenderee, he was a retiree of the organization so it was not befitting for him also to claim for the rehabilitation as he has never surrendered and at that point of the time peace process was not in the process but it is befitting what he has done,” Blah said.

He however said that the HNLC is yet to discuss with regards to the rehabilitation package.

On the other hand, Blah said the peace talks are not an issue which decisions can be taken in haste.

“The struggle of the outfit has been there for almost 40 years and taking a hasty decision may lead to unnecessary situations,” he said while refusing to comment on the present strength of the outfit.

Cheristerfield Thangkiew’s death: Govt to first study explanation by Tactical Team – I

Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong today said the government will decide on the action after going through the explanation submitted by the Tactical Team-I, which had conducted the operation at the residence of former HNLC leader (L) Cheristerfield Thangkhiew which led to his death on August 13, 2021.

“Let the process start. Right now the department has just received the explanation (submitted by Tactical Team-I). We will go through all of it. Once that is done we will see what action will be taken,” Tynsong told reporters.

The explanation was sought by the state government after the report of the One Man Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice T Vaiphei was tabled in the Assembly’s autumn session held last year.

The report stated that the operation was well planned but poorly executed since the team was supposed to capture (L) Thangkhiew alive.

Justice T Vaiphei in his report had stated: “Therefore, my finding is that the Tactical Team-I in carrying out the operation to arrest the deceased at his residence on August 13, 2021 at about 3 AM was culpable of thoughtless and excessive use of force, which resulted in the death of the deceased, late Cheristerfield Thangkhiew, which turned out to be avoidable,” Justice Vaiphei said in his report.

“In my considered view, the post facto excuse that none but the deceased was hurt cannot be a valid justification for carrying out the operation hastily and in a reckless manner by the Tactical Team-I,” he added.

The report had said the common thread of evidence running through the statements of these state witnesses is that the objective of the operation was professed to be simply to capture the deceased alive and not to shoot at him.

That was the decision taken in the tactical meeting held prior to the operation.

“In my considered view, the operation was a well-plan, but executed poorly, recklessly, hastily and without proper application of mind,” Justice Vaiphei had said adding “In order words, it was a botched-up operation and failing in its objective of apprehending the deceased alive, who would have given valuable information to the police about the subversive activities of the proscribed HNLC outfit.”