Shillong: Political parties in Meghalaya on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to include other active militant groups in the tripartite peace pact signed with two militant organisations to bring permanent peace in the state's Garo Hills.
"Any peace pact (signed) with one or two groups will not bring permanent peace in Garo Hills region since other militant groups are also indulging in criminal activities," Augustine R Marak, general secretary of the Garo Hills State Movement Committee said in a letter to the Prime Minister.
Marak said the National People's Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, United Democratic Party and Garo National Council had expressed resentment to the signing of the pact yesterday with two factions of ANVC which did not include other militant outfits.
More than 12 militants are actively operating in entire Garo Hills region bordering Assam and the Khasi Hills region in Meghalaya, he said.
In the groups meeting held recently at the residence of Tura MP PA Sangma, the leaders resolved to demand the inclusion of other militant groups as GNLA, ASAK, UALA and other actively operating outfits of Garo Hills in the next settlement, Marak said.
Welcoming the peace pact signed yesterday between the Centre, the state government and the ANVC and its break away faction, the ANVC-B, he said any peace pact with one or two group will not bring permanent peace in Garo Hills.
On the statehood demand, the GHSMC leader said if Nagas, Mezos and Manipuris got their full fledged states on the line of linguists, cultures, and believe, Garos are one of the major tribes in India who deserve it.
"It is our fundamental rights to get a full fledged state to safeguard the identity and to uplift the economic and education standard of the people like other tribes of India," he said.
