NEW DELHI:
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is all set to take up the issue of peace talks with the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) after the outfit expressed its willingness for a peaceful solution of their long pending issues.
A senior official in the Home Ministry told The Meghalayan that the Ministry will go ahead with the “peace process” once it gets the initial report from the State government.
“The State government has appointed an interlocutor. Once we get the preliminary report from the State government we will set the next stage of the process,” the official said on April 23.
As per reports, former director of the intelligence bureau (IB) AK Mishra has also been nominated as the representative from the central government side.
Immediately after the banned outfit expressed its willingness for a talk with the government, the Congrad Sangma led Meghalaya government appointed retired IAS officer Peter S Dkhar as an interlocutor from the State.
“It’s a very positive sign for Meghalaya in particular and the entire Northeast in general that another insurgent outfit has come forward for a talk,” the official said.
The Central government aims to bring all the insurgent outfits of Northeast to the negotiation table. “The government is working with all stakeholders to bring all the remaining outfits in the northeast to the negotiation table,” the official said and added that the recent announcement of the government to repeal Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from Assam, Nagaland and Manipur was a significant step in this direction.
“The Ministry keeps reviewing the ground situation of the northeast periodically. When the situation in other parts of the region will be peaceful, AFSPA will be repealed from other areas too,” the official said.
Formed in 1993 following a split from their parent organization the Hynniewtrep Achik Liberation Council, HNLC, has also proposed the initiation of the ‘Hynniewtrep Peace Committee’ suggesting that church elders, citizens and NGOs be part of the peace talks.