Shillong, Jan 31: Despite the proscribed militant outfit Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) withdrawing from the peace talks, Meghalaya government has continued to make appeals to the outfit to rejoin the negotiation table, this time the appeal coming from none other than Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma. However, the CM also put across the firm stand of the government on the some of the demands of the outfit, which would be difficult to overlook.
CM Sangma on Wednesday said the government is still open for talks with the outfit but there remains complexity in granting amnesty to the HNLC cadres, stressing that some of the cases are heinous in nature.
“We have discussed the matters and obviously on case to case basis, there are some which are very heinous in nature. So, everything will have to be dealt with separately, but this cannot be taken as a blanket order saying that all cases can be withdrawn; it depends on case to case basis,” he said on the sideline of an event.
Stressing on the complexity of the terms and conditions of the peace talks, CM Conrad said that there are standard conditions that are there for all talks and hence, if the government changes those conditions for some organization, then it becomes difficult to have a uniform platform according to which other organisations are treated. He added that the terms and conditions of the peace talks cannot change.
“Therefore, whatever terms and conditions had been used and laid down for other organisations, same conditions are being put up now for HNLC talks,” he maintained.
Demands of HNLC
It maybe mentioned that HNLC withdrew from peace talks with the government on January 3, this year, stating that their general demands have not been met.
Apart from granting amnesty, the HNLC has laid several demands including:
1. Removal of the ban on HNLC, labelled an “Unlawful Association” under Section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. This ban impedes the ability to engage in peaceful negotiations, and lifting it is crucial for advancing the dialogue process.
2. Seeking the withdrawal of all pending cases against HNLC Leaders and cadres in both lower and higher courts across the state, with a special focus on cases in Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills.
3. The establishment of a secure passage for central leaders and HNLC cadres, ensuring their safety to foster trust and enable active participation in peace talks.
4. Proposing the appointment of authorised representatives capable of effectively communicating and facilitating the negotiation process. Streamlining communication channels through designated representatives is viewed as essential for expediting the talks.
5. Requesting the release of all HNLC cadres and individuals suspected of association with the organisation, currently in jail.
It must be noted that the government has, thus far, only addressed demands 3 and 4 out of the five presented by the outfit.
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