Newmai News Network
Shillong: Meghalaya Congress chief and MP from Shillong, Vincent H Pala today slammed the Centre and the Meghalaya State government for their “lack” of seriousness in taking forward the peace talks with the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC).
This came days after the HNLC had announced its decision to withdraw from the peace process following the government’s failure to address their five core demands which include lifting of the ban and providing general amnesty to the outfit’s leaders and cadres.
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The Congress leader also appealed to the HNLC not to run away from the peace process but to instead demand for new negotiators to pursue their issues with the government.
Speaking to journalists, Pala said, “It is unfortunate to see when the HNLC is ready to come to the table but there is no seriousness on the part of the BJP government at the Centre as well as the State.”
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Criticizing the Central government’s failure, he said, “If you see all these issues, it is only the government’s big promises in the manifesto but when it comes to reality they always don’t care for the people of North East.”
Pala claimed that the Congress had tried its best to minimize activities of undergrounds by bringing peace and said, “You have seen what happened in Assam when Tarun Gogoi was there, he brought ULFA into the negotiating table and Assam is prosperous and Assam is doing good now. In between also when Congress was in power, we tried to minimize all the undergrounds, we brought peace but today again in spite of all those again this BJP government now don’t take it seriously. It is very unfortunate.”
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Stating that the opposition are not privy to the negotiation between the government and HNLC, he however said, “We have not been invited, we have not been informed and we have not been briefed, so the details I think you should get from them rather from us.”
Extending full support to the peace talks, the Congress chief said, “I fully support the peace deal whatever conditions are there, our people are very small in number we cannot afford to lose our brothers and sisters because of guns, we cannot afford to lose peace only because of ego, we cannot afford to lose peace only because of people in the BJP does not bother about the people of Meghalaya.”
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Appealing to the HNLC not to pull out of the peace talks, Pala said, “I urge the HNLC to have patience. I appeal to the HNLC that whatever decision they are taking is a big decision, it matters to the economy of the state, it matters to the life of the people, and it matters to so many things within the state. I appeal to the HNLC not to just stop the negotiation. Continue the negotiation and try to see and convince if required, they can also put or demand new negotiators. I think it is also important for them to take it seriously, I request them not to run away from the negotiation and I request them to come forward and be more proactive.”
“I don’t know what is the reason, why all these failures and whom to blame but I feel that we need peace in Meghalaya, we need peace in the Bri U Hynniewtrep and the State and the country as a whole,” he said.
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