Banned Khasi rebel outfit to boycott polls

Banned Khasi rebel outfit Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) today decided to boycott the Lok Sabha elections by sponsoring a 12-hour "shutdown" on the day of the polls on April 9.
The decision was taken at an emergent central executive committee (CEC) meeting of the political department of HNLC here.
The 5 AM-5 PM shutdown will be effective in the entire Shillong parliamentary constituency covering six districts in the Khasi and Jaintia region, the outfit's Publicity Secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw said in a statement issued here.
"It can also be defined as the ability or power to make decisions for oneself," he stated.

Stressing that election time is a time when corruption is at its peak level, the outfit said big industrialists fund politicians to meet high cost of election and ultimately to seek personal favour.
"In order to get elected, politicians bribe poor illiterate people of our Hynniewtrep, who are slogging for two meals a day.