GUWAHATI, June 11 ? As many as six North East militant outfits based in Manipur and Tripura has recently approached the Mizoram Chief Minister, Sri Zoramthanga to act as the catalyst in facilitating talks with the Central Government. The Minister for Information and Publicity of Mizoram, F Malsawma informed The Assam Tribune that these militant outfits, all hardcore groups including the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) had shown interest in sitting for talks with the Government of India and approached Sri Zoramthanga, a former Mizo National Front rebel, to facilitate the same.
Sri Malsawma informed that the Chief Minister of Mizoram had tried to initiate talks between Garo militant outfit A?chik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) of Meghalaya and the Centre at the instance of the militant outfit. The Mizoram Government who has been reaping the benefit of peace after a long spell of insurgency, is now keen to help other insurgency-hit North Eastern States to find a peaceful solution out of the turmoil.
The Mizoram Information Minister said that engagement of bureaucrates in holding talks in foreign countries with rebel outfits from the region as well as lack of coordination among Government of India agencies like the Army, police and the intelligence wings etc. in tackling the problem of insurgency in the region had been major hurdles in solving the problem in the region.
The Mizoram Minister questioned the need for holding talks with the North East rebels in foreign soils at the expense of the Government exchequer. He alleged that most of such talks failed to deliver apart from facilitating Government-sponsored foreign trips to a section of bureaucrates. He also alleged lack of sincerity on part of the political leaders vis-a-vis finding a lasting solution to insurgency problems in the region. ?We political leaders as long as we are guarded don?t care what happens to the insurgency-hit common people.?