Meghalaya finalising comment on rebel group’s demand
October 7th, 2010 - 6:48 pm ICT by IANSShillong, Oct 7 (IANS) Meghalaya will soon give the central government its comments on rebel group A’chik National Volunteers Council’s (ANVC) demand for creating a Garoland autonomous council, Chief Secretary W.M.S. Pariat said Thursday.”We expect to submit our views and comments on the ANVC’s demand to the centre within three months,” he told IANS, while making it clear that the creation of the autonomous council mainly lies with the central government as it needed a constitutional amendment.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma earlier asked the central government to consider an “acceptable tripartite accord” with the ANVC for lasting peace in the Garo Hills region.
On Sep 30, the central government extended the ceasefire agreement with the ANVC by another three months to facilitate the ongoing dialogue.
The ANVC, a tribal Garo rebel group operating in Meghalaya’s Garo Hills region, is fighting for creation of an autonomous council. It entered into a tripartite ceasefire with the central and the state governments July 23, 2004.
The outfit has scaled down its demand for creation of a separate Garoland state to an autonomous council in line with the Bodoland Territorial Council in Assam.
“We hope that the state government submits its views and comments to the centre at the earliest to ensure peace and development in Garo Hills,” ANVC spokesperson Torik Jangning Marak told IANS.
Meghalaya shares a 443-km border with Bangladesh, part of which is porous, hilly and unfenced and prone to frequent infiltration.
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- Rebel group voices concern on slow negotiations - Feb 23, 2011
- ANVC unhappy with slow pace of dialogue - Jun 06, 2011
- Rebel group asks Assam-based groups to leave Meghalaya - Aug 15, 2011
- Ceasefire with Meghalaya rebel group extended - Sep 23, 2011
- Meghalaya examining demand for Garo territorial council - Nov 29, 2010
- ANVC threatens return to jungles if ceasefire not extended - Jun 29, 2010
- Meghalaya orders probe into ANVC's 'secret' killings - Sep 03, 2011
- Centre, Meghalaya not keen on talks with GNLA - Aug 10, 2012
- Meghalaya rebel group offers help to rescue abducted official - Oct 07, 2010
- Centre unlikely to accede to Garoland, says G.K. Pillai - Feb 14, 2012
- Determined to end Garo terror outfit: Chidambaram - Feb 19, 2012
- No mass graves in Garo Hills, says Sangma - Nov 17, 2011
- No compromise on sovereignty: Lyngdoh - Aug 29, 2012
- Meghalaya's views sought to declare GNLA outlawed - Nov 01, 2011
Tags: assam, autonomous council, ceasefire agreement, central government, chief minister, chief secretary, chik, constitutional amendment, council chief, garo hills, infiltration, lasting peace, marak, mukul, national volunteers, oct 7, rebel group, shillong, state governments, territorial council