Shillong, Jan. 9: After the talks with the NSCN (I-M) leaders, the Centre is likely to start negotiations with the banned outfit from the Garo Hills — the A’chik National Volunteers’ Council — in the first week of February. Though a date is yet to be fixed, highly placed sources said both New Delhi and the ANVC have agreed to meet in New Delhi and “work out a settlement”. Sources in the Garo Hills said the ANVC has already held two meetings with the Centre’s representatives where it “agreed” to meet the Central leaders without any preconditions.
The ANVC has welcomed New Delhi’s acceptance of its memorandum, which clearly stated that it was ready for unconditional talks with the Centre. The ANVC is said to have sent another letter to the Centre expressing its desire to hold the talks during or before the next Assembly elections.
The only pre-condition set by the ANVC is that security cover should be provided to its leaders Dilash Marak, chairman of the outfit and Jerome Momin, general secretary, currently camping in Bangladesh.
Sources said the Centre might also declare a unilateral ceasefire with the ANVC and other outfits, which have shown their willingness to negotiate.
However, senior public leaders of Garo Hills say the ANVC does not “want any state government interference”. Meghalaya chief minister F.A. Khonglam said his government would have no objection to any direct interaction between the outfits and the Centre. He was of the opinion that it was the Centre’s prerogative to hold a dialogue without involving the state government.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A. Sangma told The Telegraph: “The talks would take place once New Delhi decides on the dates”. He was of the opinion that that Centre would decide on the talks only after the meeting with the NSCN (I-M) leadership.
“I am confident that insurgency in the Garo Hills would end soon,” Sangma said, adding that “a lot depended on how the Central leadership understood the problems of militancy in Meghalaya”.