Govt extends ceasefire with ANVC for another year more

Shillong, July 12 (UNI) The tripartite ceasefire agreement between the Centre, Meghalaya government and the proscribed A'chik National Volunteers Council was extended by another year.

This decision was taken at the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) meeting held here yesterday in the backdrop of the current ceasefire agreement, which will expire on July 23.

State Inspector General of Police Special Branch S B Singh, who attended the meeting, confirmed the tripartite ceasefire agreement extension for another year.

The meeting was attended by Home Commissioner Rebecca Suchiang, Commissioner of Division Garo Hills P W Ignty, Inspector General of Police Special Branch S B Singh, Principal Home Secretary Rebecca Suchiang, and the Union Home Ministry was represented Joint Secretary Home in-charge North East Naveen Verma .

The ANVC was led by its General Secretary Wanding K Marak.

Official sources said the Centre decided to extend the ceasefire agreement with the tribal Garo militant outfit but asked them not to violate the ceasefire ground rules except for stray cases.

However, the JMG meeting did not discuss the political demand of the outfit as the JMG duty was to monitor the ceasefire ground rules.

Formed in December 1995 and proscribed on November 16, 2000, the ANVC, operating in Garo Hills with an aim to carve out ''Greater Garoland'', entered into a tripartite ceasefire agreement on July 23, 2004.

The proposed 'A'chik Land' comprises the present districts of Garo Hills in Meghalaya and a large chunk of Kamrup and Goalpara district of Asom, parts of West Khasi Hills and parts of Bangladesh.

As per the agreement, two designated camps were set up at Samanda in East Garo Hills district and Chokpot in South Garo Hills to keep the ultras at bay.

UNI