The central government is not keen to hold talks with the Garo National
Liberation Army (GNLA) on its demand for creation of a separate Garoland
state in Meghalaya, a top union home ministry official said Friday.
"They
(the rebels) are always welcome to come out and face trial for their
criminal activities. But we are not keen to hold talks with them,"
Shambu Singh, joint secretary (northeast) in the home ministry, told
IANS over phone Friday.
The Meghalaya government too is not in a
hurry to accept GNLA's offer for peace talks made by its political
secretary Bikdot Nikjang Marak Wednesday.
Marak has offered shun
armed struggle if GNLA's demands for the creation of a Garo state within
the Indian constitution was accepted.
"We are always willing to
hold talks and solve issues peacefully. But GNLA must first disarm and
stop its violent activities to create a favourable environment for
talks," Meghalaya's Home Minister H.D.R. Lyngdoh said.
He also
said that people of Meghalaya did not give their mandate to the GNLA to
fight for a separate Garoland state. So the question of holding talks on
the issue did not arise.
"The public have not given its mandate
to the GNLA to fight for a separate state. The government has not
received any memorandum from the public on the demand for separate
state," Lyngdoh said.
Shambu Singh, on the other hand, called
GNLA's peace offer a "face-saving" measure after the arrest of its chief
Champion R. Sangma July 30 near the India-Bangladesh border.
He said dividing Meghalaya further was not viable.
"Meghalaya is already a small state with too many internal conflicts. I don't think further dividing Meghalaya is viable."
"If
the centre has not acceded to the creation of Telangana, Gorkhaland and
Bodoland, do you think the government will give in to their (GNLA)
demand for a separate Garoland?"
The GNLA, which has over 200 rebels in its fold, wants Garoland carved out of five impoverished districts of Garo Hills.
Over
35 people, including security personnel, were killed and more than 20
people were abducted by GNLA rebels in the last one year.
The
Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC), which is observing a tripartite
ceasefire with the central and the state governments, has scaled down
its demand for a Garoland state to an autonomous council, like the
Bodoland Territorial Council.
The Hill State People's Democratic
Party, an ally in the ruling Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance
government, too has been seeking a separate state for Khasi-Jaintia
tribals since 1987.
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