Lapang asks HNLC leaders to surrender honourably

MEGHALAYA—07-03-2008 : (CONGRESS EMERGING AS THE SINGLE LARGEST PARTY IN MEGHALAYA) Former Chief Minister and Congress’s Chief Ministerial candidates DD Lapang shows victory sign to his supporters after winning from the Nongpoh constituency in Meghalaya on Friday, March 07, 2008. The election to the 60-member Meghalaya assembly threw up a hung house with the ruling Congress emerging as the single largest party bagging 25 out of 59 seats for which polling was held on March three. Congress, which led a coalition Ministry in the outgoing Meghalaya assembly, is expected to form a government with the support of independents and two other regional parties. PHOTO: RITU_RAJ_KONWAR NICAID:110986899 MEGHALAYA—07-03-2008 : (CONGRESS EMERGING AS THE SINGLE LARGEST PARTY IN MEGHALAYA) Former Chief Minister and Congress’s Chief Ministerial candidates DD Lapang shows victory sign to his supporters after winning from the Nongpoh constituency in Meghalaya on Friday, March 07, 2008. The election to the 60-member Meghalaya assembly threw up a hung house with the ruling Congress emerging as the single largest party bagging 25 out of 59 seats for which polling was held on March three. Congress, which led a coalition Ministry in the outgoing Meghalaya assembly, is expected to form a government with the support of independents and two other regional parties. PHOTO: RITU_RAJ_KONWAR - caption NICAID:110986899

Amid the crackdown of Bangladesh security agencies on North East militants, Meghalaya Chief Minister DD Lapang on Saturday asked the leaders of the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) to surrender ’honourably’.

“We appeal to the HNLC leadership to come over-ground and work with the government. We have sent a message to the top leaders to surrender honourably,” Mr. Lapang told reporters.

Indicating that he was not averse to giving safe passage to militant leaders, he said, “The government has provision for surrendered cadres to ensure that they lead a good life in the mainstream.

“We have been repeatedly persuading the Government of India to take up the issue with Bangladesh. Now with the arrest of the ULFA leaders, Bangladesh is acting positively to ensure that the militants do not take shelter or operate training camps from that country,” the chief minister said.

Since last month, Bangladesh has pushed back ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, four other top leaders of the outfit and their families to Indian authorities even as the government claimed that the rebel leaders surrendered. Some other leaders of North East rebel group’s, including NLFT chairman Biswamohan Devberma, is also believed to have been detained in the neighbouring country.