Meghalaya CM welcomes UPDS peace initiatives

Shillong, Feb 02 (UNI) Meghalaya Chief Minister J D Rymbai lauded the initiatives taken by the Asom-based UPDS militant outfit in providing security to the Khasi-Pnar residents in Asom's Karbi-Anglong district.

''It was a positive move of the United People's Democratic Solidarity (UDPS) to recognise the Khasi-Pnar people as the sons of Karbi Anglong,'' Mr Rymbai said at the 17th Annual Conference of the All Meghalaya Karbi Association (AMKA) in the state's Purdawa village on January 31.

Recently, the outfit had expressed its desire to hold peace parleys with Khasi political leaders and end the current hostility between the two ethnic communities.

The outfit also urged all the political leaders of both Karbi Anglong and Meghalaya to refrain from politicising the issue of for their own vested interests.

The decision had been conveyed to Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM), an ally of the ruling Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government.

'' We are ready to hold talks with the Karbi militant group on the issue of providing security to the Khasi-Pnar residents living in Block I and Block II,'' Mr Rymbai said.

However, he also stressed on the need of an intermediary to set the ball rolling for the proposed peace parleys between the outfit and the Khasi political leaders.

Earlier, KHNAM general secretary Erwin K Syiem Sutnga said his party would reciprocate to their offer through their emissaries after they get more details on the issues, provided that the outfit should put a stop to all acts of intimidation, threats and extortion in these villages.

The UPDS is currently in a cease-fire agreement with the Centre.

UNI