SHILLONG:
Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong, on Tuesday, said the central government is still opening the door for talks with the proscribed outfit, Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC).
“We are still urging HNLC on behalf of the state government not to discontinue the peace talks,” Tynsong said.
He asked the HNLC to decide maturely saying, “Again, I also requested resume talks, the door is open. Think about it again, please be mature and think about the future.”
Referring to a recent social media post by the outfit as ‘drama,’ Tynsong stated, “As I have clarified before, I will reiterate: if you (HNLC) are apprehensive—because they indicated that senior leaders, including the chairman or commander-in-chief, might hesitate to attend due to fear of arrest—we have assured safe passage.
“Moreover, if you prefer to discuss matters outside of Meghalaya, we are amenable to that as well; you can suggest the location. However, it is inappropriate for them to assert on social media that Prestone is inviting them for talks. This cannot be regarded as official. Officially, it is not Prestone but the Government of India and the state government extending the invitation for talks with the HNLC,” he added.
Tynsong confirmed that no official communication has been received from the HNLC in regards to its decision to the government’s request for the resumption of the talks.
“I have nothing to say, I can’t talk on their behalf but from the government side, the door is still open. We keep requesting them for the continuation of talks,” he stated.