Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma today said the terms and conditions for disarming are the same for all militant organisations.
He added that the dropping of cases against leaders of the banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Recently, the HNLC withdrew from peace negotiations with the government, claiming that the government had failed to address its five main demands, which include dropping all charges against the leaders and members of the group.
“The terms and conditions cannot be altered as they are consistent for all militant organisations. Amnesty will be discussed and considered on an individual basis,” the chief minister explained.
He continued, “There are some cases that are particularly heinous in nature, so those will be treated separately.”
Sangma further said, “There are standard conditions that apply to all organisations. If we were to change them for certain groups, it would be difficult to maintain a consistent platform. Therefore, the same terms and conditions that were established for other outfits are being applied to the HNLC peace negotiations.”
Sangma clarified that the government has only received a letter from the HNLC expressing their decision to discontinue peace talks.
“We have therefore urged them (HNLC) to consider that there will always be challenges and issues that can be resolved. Ultimately, the desire for peace is what matters most,” he said.
Emphasising that the government is still open to discussions with the HNLC, the chief minister appealed to the group to reconsider their decision and resume peace talks.
“We are open to discussions and urge them to continue with the peace talks,” he concluded. (PTI)
