HPC(D) wants talks at the political level

A delegation of the Manipur-based Hmar People's Convention (Democrats) today said the ongoing peace talks should be held at the political and not the official level.
The appeal of the Hmar outfit was noted and would be submitted to the Mizoram government for consideration, Superintendent of Police CID (SB) H Ramthlengliana, told PTI.
Ramthlengliana heads the joint monitoring group and took part in the meeting with three HPC(D) representatives at Sakawrdai village on the Mizoram-Manipur border.
Both the parties were satisfied with the observation of the nine-point ground rules laid down under the bilateral Suspension of Operations (SoO) signed on January 31 in Aizawl, Ramthlengliana said.

"The next date for resumption of the parleys would be decided by the government in consultation with the HPC(D) delegation," he said.
The Mizoram government and the HPC(D) had earlier signed SoO for six months on November 11, 2010, but the talks could not be resumed because of differences between the two sides which resulted in a massive crackdown on the Hmar outfit.

Top HPC(D) leaders including chairman H Zosangbera, 'army chief' Lalropuia and 'deputy army chief' Lalbiaknunga were arrested in 2012.
Zosangbera was arrested from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on July 17 and Lalropuia and Lalbiaknunga from the Silchar Airport in Cachar district of Assam on June 10.

All the arrested HPC(D) leaders were released on bail and talks began again during the first part of this year.
The HPC(D) has been demanding a separate autonomous district council for the north eastern part of Mizoram adjoining Manipur under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.