Shillong, July 18: The banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has announced that it will not be shunning the path of violence until the government does not start ‘official communication’ through the appointment an interlocutor for facilitating peace talks.
In a press statement issued on Sunday, HNLC general secretary-cum-publicity secretary, Sainkupar Nongtraw said, “As long as there is no official communication we shall keep spearheading our movement and without fail.”
He also stressed that the outfit “will not give up violence until the government comes up with something concrete. We are not ready to shun violence until and unless an interlocutor is appointed.”
This comes in reaction to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s appeal to the outfit to shun the path of violence following the IED blast at the Khliehriat police reserve in East Jaintia Hills district.
“Show us practically that you are serious and we shall stop proving our abilities to destroy anything practically,” Nongtraw said.
He informed that the outfit had time and again sent various letters addressed to the state government and the central government including the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
“Deliberate discussions were held within the council’s leaders to facilitate peace talks. The council has documented each and every letter for future reference, in case we are told that we did not want peace and that we should shun the path of violence,” Nongtraw said.
The HNLC leader further stated that it is a child’s play for the Chief Minister to just appear into the media fraternity and issue any kind of statements adding “but at the same time it should be implemented in letter and spirit.”
Stating that from the year 2004 it has already been 17 years but nothing concrete has been achieved in the formulation of peace talks, he said, “Lately we feel that peace talks just appear good in newspapers. But the reality is that it doesn’t exist in the dictionary of the government.”
He asked the government to re-introspect instead of blaming each other.
