Sinlung /
21 January 2011

Deadlock Over Peace Talks With Hmar Rebels

Hmar rebels in Mizoram_thumbAizawl, Jan 21 : The Mizoram government’s efforts to hold peace parleys with the Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic) to end the 10-year-old insurgency in the Hmar-dominated areas of the state have come to a naught so far.

Representatives of the two sides were scheduled to meet in Aizawl on January 14 but the HPC (D) delegates did not show up, giving rise to uncertainty regarding the talks. The talks has been proposed during the first meeting between them in Aizawl on November 11 last year.

According to the travel schedule of the HPC (D), the delegation was supposed to arrive first at Hmarkhawlien, a hub of Hmar tribals in Cachar district’s eastern enclave on its borders with Manipur, and then travel in a convoy of cars under police escort to Aizawl.

A senior home department official in Aizawl today said the government had sent fresh communication a couple of days ago to the HPC (D) headquarters in Tipaimukh of Manipur, requesting them to fix a date for the talks. However, there has been no response from the militant leaders yet.

It could not be ascertained whether the peace parleys had figured in the talks between senior officials of the Union home ministry and Mizoram home secretary Lalmalsawma, who is now camping in New Delhi for repatriation of Bru refugees from their sanctuaries in North Tripura.

A senior commander of HPC (D), Lalhmingthanga, told this correspondent over phone from somewhere in Manipur last night that the Hmar delegation did not arrive for the talks as the HPC (D) was “very much” piqued at the manner in which the Mizoram government had invited them for the dialogue.

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