Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said that the state government is ready to continue the tripartite talks with the outlawed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) but the militant group must adhere to norms prescribed by the central government.
“The talks are possible if the outfit is willing to follow the norms prescribed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs,” the CM said.
He informed that the state government has maintained that there are certain provisions and guidelines that the MHA has prescribed and talks are possible only if the outfit adheres to them.
“We cannot deviate from that because that is what is being prescribed for all the talks,” he added, while stating that MHA cannot have different yardsticks for different outfits.
On the outfit’s willingness for negotiations and discussion, which has been made public in a social media post, Sangma said, “We have not received anything officially from the HNLC.”
On dropping charges against HNLC members, one of the key demands of the rebel group, he said that the dropping of cases against the cadres will be on a case-to-case basis.
The HNLC has sent an unofficial statement to the Deputy Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio, Prestone Tynsong, stating that the group accepts the government’s proposal and is ready to engage in talks but only according to the terms and conditions of the HNLC, one of which is that the militants choose the venue.
