Govt extends ceasefire truce with ANVC in Meghalaya

Shillong, Jun 26: The tripartite ceasefire agreement between the Centre, Meghalaya government and the proscribed A'chik National Volunteers Council has been extended by another year.

Official sources said here today that this decision was taken at the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) meeting held at New Delhi yesterday in the backdrop of the current ceasefire agreement, which will expire on July 23.

The meeting was attended by senior government officials, including Inspector General of Police Special Branch S B Singh, and the Union Home Ministry was represented by 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.

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 Assam, 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