Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Thursday reiterated that his government was open to hold talks with the militant groups to ensure that the issues raised by these groups can be addressed through Constitutional means.
"The government is open to ensure that all kinds of pending issues can be resolved through dialogue,” he told the assembly today.
He said the government, from different platforms, had been offering dialogue to all outfits, not only the banned Khasi Hills-based Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC).
“The government has not received any communication from HNLC to this effect,” he said, adding that the `publicity secretary` of the outfit had, on behalf of his `general secretary` sent e-mails to the media `hinting on some sort of political dialogue` in August last year.
“The e-mail was sent to the press and not the government,” Sangma said, adding, that the government had taken cognizance of it and “on that basis offered scope for militant outfits to resolve issues through dialogue”.
Repeatedly asked by Opposition member James Sangma whether the government was waiting for a written response from the HNLC, the chief minister said that there was “no further communication’ received from the outfit after the e-mail to the media.
Asked by a legislator if church leaders had been offered to mediate as emissaries between the government and the HNLC, the Chief Minister said “whenever it is felt necessary, this approach would be taken”.
PTI
