Centre ready to talk to insurgents that shun violence: Garg

The Centre is ready to talk to any militant groups provided that they abjure violence, Union joint secretary (Home) Satyendra Garg said today.
The Centre is also concerned over the issue related to the recruitment of child soldiers by the different militant outfits operating in the North East, he said.
"The central government has made its policy very clear. The pre-condition is that they (militants) have to give up arms and violence," Garg told reporters after a meeting with state Home Minister Roshan Warjri here.
He admitted that militants in the NE region are thriving because of easy access to arms smuggled through the international borders.

The union home joint secretary said though efforts are being made to stop this but there are constraints especially in the Indo-Myanmar border which is totally unfenced and the presence of security is minimal.
Recently five surrendered cadres of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) has revealed that the outfit is recruiting children for arms training in the general camp located at Durama Hills in East Garo Hills District.

On this, Garg said, the government is concerned about the issue and the government policy is that no child should be in anywhere near any insurgency situation.
"Any child who is inducted into insurgency is bad and of course we will take corrective measures," Garg stated.

The MHA official refused to disclose the issues discussed with the state government in the meeting.
He said that Meghalaya is doing quite well as far as the law and order situation is concerned in the Garo Hills region.