HNLC says govt’s call for peace talks was to neutralize and suppress the outfit’s struggle

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 15, 2024

The proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has alleged that the government’s call for peace talks was a calculated move to neutralize and suppress the outfit’s struggle.

“Your call for peace talks is nothing more than a calculated move to serve your own interests, not the interests of our nation. The real objective behind this gesture is to weaken, demoralize, infiltrate, and manipulate us – to undermine our movement and dismantle our cause while pretending to seek peace. This is not about genuine reconciliation but about neutralizing us and suppressing our struggle,” HNLC general secretary cum publicity secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw said in a statement issued here on Friday.

This came a day after the Centre decided to extend the ban against the HNLC as an unlawful association by a period of another five years.

Nongtraw said that the outfit is not at all surprised by the government’s decision to once again impose a ban on the HNLC under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

“This move reflects the ongoing suppression of our legitimate political expression and the stifling of our struggle for self-determination,” he added.

Further, the HNLC leader stated, “The narrative propagated by your Home Department, portraying the HNLC as a “spent force” with merely 10-15 active members, reflects a gross underestimation of our strength and influence. However, your own records expose this narrative as misleading, with 73 HNLC members arrested to date and the number continuing to grow.”

“Furthermore, the fact that only three members have surrendered over the past five years underscores the HNLC’s resilience and enduring commitment to its cause. This also highlights a growing ideological alignment among the youth, who increasingly recognize that armed resistance remains a viable path to challenge and dismantle the oppressive Indian system,” he said.

Furthermore, Nongtraw stated that to this day, the Indian government has not changed its immoral and wicked ways. It is the Indian government that wages war against our nation through deceptive tricks.

Centre declares HNLC as unlawful association for a period of five years

“Yet, when we stand up in self-defense for our beloved Hynniewtrep, we are accused of waging war against her, even though she is the one guilty of war-mongering. The historical trajectory of our Nation, alongside past agreements, underscores a fundamental need for the recognition of our political autonomy and the principle of shared sovereignty,” he said while adding “We are fighting against your government to liberate Hynniewtrep from physical, mental, and political enslavement. You had an issue when Kashmir had its own flag and constitution, and you do not want the Naga people to have theirs either. If sovereignty is not the solution, why do you oppose home rule? Why do you resist the idea of self-governance? And why do you have an issue with the right to coexistence?”

Stating that the the persistent denial of the princely states’ rights to autonomy and self-governance stands in stark contrast to the principles of democracy and justice that the Indian government claims to uphold, Nongtraw said, “In August 1947, the Federation of Khasi States entered into a provisional treaty, commonly referred to as the “Standstill Agreement,” with your government. This treaty explicitly limited your jurisdiction over the Hynniewtrep Nation to matters of defense, foreign affairs, and communication.”

“The infringement of this agreement by your government has undermined the terms upon which our relationship was established. Had this agreement been honored, Hynniewtrep would have continued within the parameters of your political structure, effectively retaining its status as a protectorate under your governance, rather than being subjected to further encroachments on our sovereignty and self-determination,” he stated.

“After 77 years since your proclaimed independence, your government has failed to honor and implement the terms of the Instrument of Accession of December 1947—an agreement coerced upon our Syiem and Hima under duress. The deliberate breach of this foundational accord and the systematic actions that followed have only deepened our commitment to seek justice, uphold the rights of our people, and reclaim the sovereignty of the Hynniewtrep Nation,” he added further.