Tura, March 5: The Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) today appealed United Church Peace Forum and advocate Sujit Dey to act as a mediator to facilitate peace talks with Meghalaya governor, K K Paul.
A statement issued by commander-in-chief, Sohan D Shira said, “We urge governor to approve the name of advocate Sujit Dey and United Church Peace Forum to facilitate peace talks”.
Sohan’s remark comes a day after outfit’s political secretary Bikdot Marak had stated that the GNLA was prepared for military action.
“We would like to start officially communication with governor. Our chairman Champion Sangma will start his communication with the governor”, said Sohan.
The statement also stated, “This press release should be treated as an official document for the purpose till approval of the said mediator”.
On Monday, GNLA had justified its demand – “We have our own ideology and our ideology contains explanation of facts and history, justification of demands and faith in the ultimate truth of our causes.”
The GNLA is demanding creation of a separate Garoland state and Bikdot Marak justified this demand. “It is a political and social need,” he said. He claimed that anti-Garoland rallies are sponsored by the government.
The GNLA top brass said, “The government’s approach to peace talks is dark, gloomy, filthy and nasty and Mukul Sangma thinks he can perform magic. He seems to believe that nothing is meaningful unless the GNLA is reduced to statistics or equation,” added Marak.
Marak asserted that GNLA stands for the cause of Garo hills. “If the government is not willing to hold talks with the GNLA, we are prepared to adopt military action. Mukul has underestimated our willingness to come forward,” said Marak.
On February 24, Marak had said that GNLA was not afraid of any operation against it and its decision to come forward for peace talks was based purely on an appeal made by the governor.
“We did not beg for peace talks. We considered the request made by the governor”.
Meghalaya governor K.K. Paul, in his Republic Day speech, had urged the GNLA to come forward for peace talks. The governor’s statement came days after chief minister Mukul Sangma urged all outfits in Garo hills to come forward under the ambit of A’chik National Volunteers Council to hold negotiations.
On January 6, Mukul had promised that in the next six months peace negotiations with the ANVC would be finalised and the “agreed text for settlement”, signed on January 5 last year, would be formalised. The “agreed text for settlement” await the Centre’s approval.
The ANVC and its breakaway faction ANVC (B) is part of the “agreed text for settlement”.
On February 17, the GNLA had expressed its willingness to come forward for peace talks on one condition — release of its jailed chairman Champion Sangma. Mukul had reacted by saying that the government would examine the “situation and their demand”. “It is important for the government to understand the situation and then take a call,” he added.(SP News)
