BJP minister ready to seek Centre’s intervention for peace talks with HNLC

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 23, 2020

BJP leader and cabinet minister AL Hek on Tuesday said that he is ready to seek the Centre’s intervention for initiating peace talks with the banned Khasi rebel outfit, Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC).

“If the HNLC wants my help, I will be the first one to take up the issue with the Government of India and the Union home minister Amit Shah,” Hek told reporters while reacting to a statement issued by the outfit yesterday.

“I will personally take up the matter as we are ready to help them. We want peace to prevail in the state,” the minister also assured.

On the HNLC’s demand for an unconditional peace talks, Hek however said, “Whether with conditions or without conditions, that will be the prerogative of the Centre.”

It may be mentioned here that the National People’s Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government had in the past maintained that it is ready for talks with militant outfits on condition that they should lay down their arms.

However, the BJP state president Ernest Mawrie had recently informed that the party being one of the coalition partners would also advise the MDA government to invite the HNLC for peace dialogues.

Asked, Hek said that he fully endorsed the suggestion of the party state president. “We will also discuss the issue with the chief minister Conrad K Sangma,” he added.

Earlier, the HNLC in a statement issued on Monday has welcomed the BJP’s offer.

“If the recent offer made by the BJP is a sincere one, then the HNLC welcomes and appreciates the offer. And by all earnest will cooperate provided that our commitment and ideologies shall not be compromised and the talks are purely unconditional,” outfit’s general secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw said in the statement.