Shillong, May 19: The Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) on Friday hinted at the need to have a separate state for the Khasis.
The HNLC general secretary cum publicity secretary, Sainkupar Nongtraw said in a statement, “When we have our own land, we can form our own government and stand like a community which is free. In our own land, we can develop and create jobs, we can promote our own economy…we can use our mineral resources, water resources to survive”.
Nongtraw said the Garo people have to understand that they too need to have their own land.
“We don’t want the Achik and the Hynniewtrep to be the next Kuki or Rohingya or Kurds, who are landless or stateless or stateless population,” Nongtraw said.
He said the aspirations of the HNLC is not for separation or for integration but “we want ‘recognition’ as a Jaidbynriew and it doesn’t matter whether it is within or outside India”.
“We want our own land that we can claim as our homeland like the Mizo in Mizoram,” Nongtraw said.
He added that the government has to come up with a permanent solution.
“We want our own land as land is the basis of all existence”, the HNLC leader said.
“The HNLC hopes for a positive outcome from the peace talks but we cannot guarantee to what extent the peace talks can go and to what extent it will be successful because till today only the Mizoram peace accord 1986 which has been successful in the history of India and the world. However, the other agreements signed between militant outfits and the Government of India reached nowhere but ended up only in paper and promises of the government,” Nongtraw said.
The response of HNLC is after Chief Minister Conrad Sangma announced that the formal peace talks with the group will start by the first week of June. This was following a meeting held between the deputy chief minister in-charge Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong and leaders of the HNLC in presence of the state government-appointed interlocutor (in picture).
The HNLC leader said the outfit’s decision to come forward for peace talks with the government does not mean that it is surrendering.
“We are not surrendering but we want to discuss and resolve the political challenges confronting the Hynniewtrep community”, he said.
“There is no personal gain but it is totally for the interest of the Jaidbynriew’,” Nongtraw said.
He said the aspirations of the HNLC is not for separation or for integration but “we want ‘recognition’ as a Jaidbynriew and it doesn’t matter whether it is within or outside India”.
