The outlawed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) today withdrew from the tripartite peace talks with the Centre and the State government and reiterated its stand to continue with the armed struggle.
In a letter to Centre’s interlocutor A K Mishra, HNLC chairman and commander-in-chief Bobby Marwein and general secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw said, “We deeply regret to inform you that we are reluctantly withdrawing ourselves from the peace talks with your government. This decision has been made due to the unfortunate circumstance that our general demands have not been met.”
“It is with a heavy heart that we witness the peace process reaching such a critical point,” the letter added. A copy of the letter was also sent to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.
During the first tripartite meeting held in June last year, the HNLC demanded the withdrawal of all cases against its cadres before talks could proceed further.
The meeting held at Umiam, was attended by Mishra, interlocutors of the State government Peter Dkhar and Ronnie Wahlang, and HNLC representative Sadon Blah.
In 2021, the HNLC leadership authorised its vice-chairman and foreign secretary to also participate in the ongoing talks.
In the same month, the NIA had filed a charge-sheet against four members of the outlawed organisation for allegedly triggering a bomb on the premises of Star Cement Factory in East Jaintia Hills in December 2020 for their failure to pay ransom, an official said.
Investigation revealed that the explosion was carried out by outfit after the company’s owner failed to pay the ‘illegal tax’ demanded by Marius Rynjah alias Hep Koit, the ‘finance secretary’ of the outfit, the official added.
The four persons named in the chargesheet are Emmanuel Suchen of Lumshnong in East Jaintia Hills and three others who are residents of Moulvibazar district in Bangladesh including outfit chairman Bobby Marwein, general secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw and Rynjah.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued to the media today, Nongtraw said the decision by the HNLC to withdraw from the negotiation table was due to the government’s lack of seriousness in addressing the outfit’s core demands.
“These demands were originally submitted to the Central government by (L) Bah Cheristerfied Thangkhiew on January 16, 2021. Despite our efforts to reiterate and emphasise our demands through our intermediary, Bah Sadon Blah, the government has shown a complete lack of attention towards our general demands. As a result, our political demands have not yet been tabled, primarily due to the inflexibility displayed by the government,” Nongtraw said.
According to him, the general demands include removal of the ban on the HNLC which has been declared an “Unlawful Association” under sub-section (1) of Section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. “The ban impedes our ability to engage in peaceful negotiations, and it is essential for progress to be made that the ban is lifted,” Nongtraw said.
He also said that another demand was for withdrawal of all pending cases against HNLC leaders and cadres in both lower and higher courts throughout the State, with special attention to cases in Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills. “Resolving these cases will contribute to a more conducive environment for dialogue,” he added.
Nongtraw also said it was crucial to establish a safe passage for central leaders and cadres of the HNLC in order to “foster trust and enable our participation in the peace talks”.
“We requested the release of all HNLC cadres and individuals suspected of being associated with the HNLC who are currently in jail. This demand was previously conveyed through our interlocutor, Bah Sadon Blah,” Nongtraw said.
“Following the first phase of the tripartite peace talks with the Meghalaya government and the Centre, our delegation returned to our camp on September 16, 2022, to hold the General Council and CEC discussions in response to the demand by the Government of India that all HNLC leaders come overground and participate in the peace talks. It was decided by our resolution that the government would only engage in discussions with the delegation under the leadership of the vice chairman until both parties reach an agreement to sign the ceasefire agreement,” he said.
“In the subsequent phase, the government, under the guidance of the vice chairman, agreed to convene an informal meeting. However, unexpectedly, during the initial formal talks, I, as the general secretary, was pressured by the government to be present at the upcoming formal talks. Adding insult to the injury, the government’s double standards became evident when the National Investigation Agency (NIA) summoned me, the chairman, and the finance secretary at the central level, despite the ongoing informal talks. Furthermore, after the first formal meeting, the state level issued another notice summoning me, contrary to the assurances given by the Government of India and the Government of Meghalaya to refrain from issuing summon notices or arresting our leaders and members during the peace process,” Nongtraw added.
Nongtraw also said that the HNLC has demonstrated flexibility by engaging in discussions within the framework of the Indian Constitution but it was the government that remained rigid in its stance.
“If the government continues to disregard our voices at the negotiation table, resorting to violence becomes the only option on the battlefield. We have to speak the language that the government understands – the government doesn’t understand the language of peace, but rather the language of violence. Only then can we hope to engage in a meaningful dialogue. The time of waiting and the era of patience are finally over; now is the moment to kick back and embrace relentless aggression,” he warned.
