Following the surrender of its ‘general secretary’ Cheristerfield Thangkhiew, the Hynñiewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has elected its ‘publicity secretary’ Saiñkupar Nongtraw as acting ‘general secretary’.
This was informed by Nongtraw in a statement issued to the media here on Sunday evening, where he also declared that the HNLC a would accept Thangkhiew, whom it fondly addressed as ‘Bah Che’ to be the mediator for a dialogue between the organisation and the Government.
Nongtraw said that the organisation has nothing to remark on Thangkhiew who has ‘retired’ from the organisation and was happy to know that he had reached the country safely and termed Thangkhiew an ‘intelligent and courageous, humble and transparent in terms of financial matter’.
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Nongtraw also said that there is some truth in the statement of Thangkhiew where he held the Indian National Congress responsible for all problems faced by the people of Hynñiewtrep and other places in the Northeast and Khasmir, but “if we dig out, we will find that those who are part of the BJP or NPP, they are the politicians who deserted from the Congress. They are not different from the wolf and fox that belonged to the dog family.”
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“The political outfits cannot walk outside the laws that are within Indian jurisdiction. Deserting and forming, new political party by these politicians was nothing but for their personal gain so that they can remain in power. Even late Purno A Sangma could not materialise the aspirations of the Garo people to get their Garo state since the time he was with the Congress or NCP or NPP till he passed away,” Nongtraw said.
Nongtraw also said that the HNLC would continue to raise and cannot forget the problems being faced by the community (Hynñiewtrep people) and the Government of India should sit for a dialogue with the HNLC to understand the problems, because only dialogue is the powerful weapon.
“Just like Pharoah who bought the magicians to mislead the Hebrew, the Government of India too, applied the same strategy where it used Meghalaya politicians as ‘modern tribal magicians’ by buying and brain washing them so that they can mislead the people of Hynñiewtrep especially the ideology of the HNLC that stands for getting freedom for the community. The dispute between India and Hynñiewtrep land was not the same dispute that happened in the case of the Ramayana of the Hindus where Ravan kidnapped Sita and then caused a war between Ravan and Ram. But the dispute between India and Hynñiewtrep is a political problem,” Nongtraw said.
He also stated that the HNLC cannot compromise its fight for ‘Hynñiewtrep sovereign State’ by surrendering or embracing financial package of the Government as long as the Indian Government fails to recognise Hynñiewtrep.
Nongtraw ended his statement by announcing that he was made an acting ‘general secretary’ of the HNLC in place of Thangkhiew while also continuing as the ‘publicity secretary’.