SHILLONG, DEC 21: The proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) on Monday alleged that the Garo militants are just “puppets” and “spoiled-child” of chief minister Mukul Sangma. The Khasi rebel outfit also maintained that it is seeking for unconditional talks, the decision of which rest only with the Government of India and not the state government and said the latter is “manipulative”.
The statement came in the wake of the recent six-month offer made by the state government to all militants to come over ground, during the agreement signed with the United Achik Liberation Army (UALA) last week.
“The Garo militants are the puppets of Mukul Sangma. He gives birth to them and again helps in digging their graves. The Garo militants are the version of spoilt child for Mukul, and the HNLC is his greatest enemy,” the outfit’s publicity secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw alleged in a statement on Monday.
Stating that the chief minister is very busy in inking peace settlements with Garo militant groups like ANVC, ANVC (B) and UALA, he said, “This is a clear enough to prove that Mukul is only concern about peace in Garo Hills.”
“Mukul wants to portray himself as a Messiah to unify the Garo militants. This is a parallel plan of the Congress brigade. Mukul is using the police department as ‘Gestapo’ like in the times of Hitler,” Nongtraw alleged.
Terming the alleged action (peace agreement) as step-motherly attitude towards the HNLC, he said, “We also wanted peace and that was the reason for us to declare a unilateral ceasefire a year ago (but later was declared invalid).”
“By showing a soft corner for Garo militants, it has proved beyond doubt that the drama of militancy in Garo hills is only orchestrated by the chief minister. He tries to feed militant groups and in order to eliminate them he again begs for funds from the centre to eliminate them,” he said.
Stating that the revolution of the outfit is not based to empower only the district councils, Nongtraw said, “We do not wish for our own state without political freedom. We fight for a higher degree of autonomy and to revive the standstill agreement of 1947 which was more or less a protectorate state.”
According to him, if the centre government is willing to give them their political freedom, then let them prove that this largest democracy in the world respects the voice of the people and held a plebiscite whether the people would like to merge with the north east or make a decision of its own.
“We shall stick to unconditional talks only. We do not have an agenda to talk with the spineless. Since this is an Indo-Hynñiewtrep conflict, only the GOI shall be able to make a decision,” he said.
Nongtraw further stated that the outfit is of the opinion that only the United Nations can intervene in order to give them their political freedom back as the Meghalaya government has no backbone of its own.
Referring to the recent timeframe given by the chief minister for militants to eschew violence within six months, Nongtraw said, “But where was Mukul when time and again we had opted for peace and why did he turn a deaf ear to our statements.”
He also questioned whether was there any motive behind this delay? Why did he favour only the UALA? Now what is his main objective to call for peace? Does he plan to use the peace settled militants for the upcoming elections?
Maintaining that the HNLC is in no mood for any peace talks in the midst of the alleged ‘political manipulations’, the HNLC leader said, “It is better for the chief minister to invite only the Garo militants because they are his (spoiled child).”
“If the HNLC also sings to the tune of the CM then what shall be the status of our people (Jaidbynriew) because if we cease to exist then our people may really suffer in the hands of the manipulative government and the Garo militant groups in the future. We shall not surrender at any cost. Our people are the reason that we shall live and fight until the end,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the HNLC has also come down heavily on the state police for their contradictory statements especially with regards to the unilateral ceasefire offered by the outfit for the past one year.
How long shall the Meghalaya police issue contradictory statements? When will they start learning and attain maturity. Boasting police officials posted in Khasi hills should instead be transferred to Garo hills and face the militants, Nongtraw said.
He went on to blame that it is the police department that has motivated the outfit to opt for RDX blasts because they had always underestimated its potentials.
Claiming that the outfit’s cadres had mastered the art of improvising explosive devices, Nongtraw warned, “For the outfit, there is no turning back. We have decided to take the RDX (IED) solution and we shall also prove that bullets are old fashioned but it is the era of explosives.”-By Our Reporter
+ There are no comments
Add yours