Tripartite peace talks begin with banned HNLC in Meghalaya

Shillong: Tripartite peace talks between the Centre, the Meghalaya government and the banned HNLC began on Saturday at Umiam near here amid demands for amnesty by the outfit for its freedom fighters.

Officials said that AK Mishra and Peter Dakhar are the Centre’s interlocutors, while Ronnie Wahlang is participating in the talks on behalf of the state. HNLC is represented by Sadon Blah.
Blah said the talks were “positive”.

He said that the HNLC has demanded withdrawal of all charges against its cadre to pave the way for successful negotiations.
“A general amnesty has been demanded including the withdrawal of all cases against the cadres, including the case against four top leaders of the HNLC who have been charge-sheeted by the NIA… the amnesty should pave the way for the peace talks to proceed.” Gay,” Blah told PTI.
HNLC vice-chairman Manbha Rynjah said the amnesty, if granted, would create an “atmosphere of trust” between its cadres and the central and state governments.

“Before the talks move forward in the coming weeks and months, we want the government to come clean on this. We want peace,” he said.
Rynjah referred to the case of Ranjan Daimary, founder president of the armed separatist outfit National Democratic Front of Boroland, who was chargesheeted by the CBI in the 2008 serial blasts case in Lower Assam when the outfit was arrested in 2020. A peace treaty of sorts was signed and ordered. The Guwahati High Court sentenced him to life imprisonment in 2022.
“We hope that the government will respond very soon through the interlocutors to enable us to progress to the next level of dialogue,” he said.
Since the formation of the HNLC nearly three decades ago, the organization has been responsible for armed attacks, IED blasts and other illegal activities injuring and killing hundreds of civilians and armed personnel in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region. included.
The NIA had, in August 2022, filed a chargesheet against four HNLC members for allegedly detonating a bomb on the premises of a cement factory in East Jaintia Hills district after the company failed to meet its forced demand. There was a bomb blast at the factory in December 2020 and the NIA registered a case in March 2021. Among the four persons named in the chargesheet, three are residents of Moulvibazar district in Bangladesh – the chairman, general and finance secretaries of HNLC.
More than 30 active cadres of the HNLC will join the peace process, officials said.