Mizoram & HPC(D) To Further Talks

Aizawl, Jul 31 : Mizoram government has decided to elevate ongoing talks with Hmar People's Convention (Democrats) from joint secretary level to secretary level, an official statement today said.

This was decided at a meeting of the council of ministers chaired by the Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla last evening.

HPC-D outfit had earlier expressed its desire to elevate the official-level talks to the political level.

Meanwhile, state Home Minister R Lalzirliana said ongoing parleys with HPC(D) would be resumed during August.

On the issue of extension of the bilateral Suspension of Operations signed on January 31 and scheduled to expire by tomorrow, Lalzirliana expressed that there would not be any hostilities during the few days gap.

The HPC(D) delegation, during the July 18 talks in Aizawl, insisted that the government should show its sincerity by speeding up the solution to the Hmar problem rather that merely extending the Suspension of Operations.

HPC(D) is demanding a Hmar state consisting of the Hmar tribal people inhabited areas of Mizoram, Manipur and Assam.