Shillong, Oct 21: On the twenty-fourth death anniversary of King Wickliffe Sing Syiem, the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) Sunday wanted to know from the union government why the Standstill Agreement that was signed on August 9, 1947 terminated within six months instead of two years.
In a statement released Sunday by the HNLC publicity secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw, it reminded that on May 16, 1946, the British Cabinet Mission released its statement known as the “16th May 1946 Mission Statement”. Para 15th of the statement states that unit of states would fall under the supervision of the Indian government on three areas mainly “Defence, “Foreign Affairs” and “Communication.”
The statement however blamed the then Indian government and said when India achieved its Independence, the “Standstill Agreement” was broken only within six months since the day it came into force.
It said it was a clear cut manipulation of the Indian Government and the council seeks its clarification on this matter from the Government Of India.
The statement also said that it is a matter of astonishment for the HNLC to find out that the traditional chiefs are instead demanding for the article 371 without realising the importance of the Standstill agreement.”
The statement says if India government considers the existence of rights of the indigenous people per the declaration of the UNO , “Then subsequently the Indian government should recognize the rights of self-determination and self-governance of the Hynniewtrep and its people.”
The HNLC also demanded the withdrawal the armed forces and its political machineries at the earliest from the Hynniewtrep soil, if at all it wants peace and normalcy.
HNLC also demanded that before the commencement of election 2013, the India government should repatriate all the Bengali (Hindus) who had been gifted the status of refugees since the year 1971 from the Hynniewtrep soil.- By Our Reporter
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