The banned Hynñiewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has accused Meghalaya police of using the surrendered cadres as weapons against it.
Terming the surrendered-HNLC as “defectors”, which according to the outfit are those who leave the organisation but still engage in fighting against it, the HNLC said, “These individuals, despite any crimes they may have committed against the public, are not charged with any cases and are allowed to work scot-free. This is because they are now fighting against the HNLC, making them tools of the state’s manipulative tactics to destabilize and weaken the movement.”
In an emailed statement today, HNLC general secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw stated that authorities are making deliberate attempts to target its lower-ranking members using a “divide-and-rule strategy.”
He stated that the Office of the Additional Director General of Police, Special Branch, has resorted to delivering summons to the families of HNLC cadres, coercing them into signing and accepting these letters. “This cowardly tactic weaponises the love and bonds of family to pressure our people, attempting to break their resolve and suppress our movement through fear and public shaming,” he claimed.
Stating that those summons were tagged “secret” by the police, which in fact intended for limited circulation, Nongtraw said these letters were posted on walls, in markets or other public places if their families refuse to accept. “This deliberate and public display of so-called “secret” communications highlights the hypocrisy of their actions and exposes their true intent: to humiliate and intimidate,” he stated.
Stating that a defector is more dangerous than those who simply surrender, Nongtraw stated that the term “surrender” is a calculated political tactic, a government’s strategy to manipulate the language.
