Chesterfield surrenders as HNLC General secretary

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: The self-styled general secretary of the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) Chesterfield Thangkhiew surrendered before Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong at the Police headquarters, Shillong on Thursday.

Thangkhiew was once the most wanted militant in the State since the infamous Shillong Jailbreak in 1995 before he regrouped and formed the HNLC. During a brief interaction with the media, he was specifically asked on his feelings on the number of killings involving his cadres, the police and the members of the public, the self-styled general secretary who came here after long years in Bangladesh stated, “I have no regrets!” Thangkhiew said that he has not regretted since he knows exactly what he was doing.

“Even now I am not regretting leaving the outfit since there are some valid grounds,” he said, adding that he has taken retirement from the service of the HNLC.

Cheristerfield Thangkhiew was categorically asked on the strength of the outfit and its fire power but he refused to answer citing that he is no more a member of the organisation.

In the course of his interaction with newsmen, he flayed the Indian National Congress (INC).

“You must realise the INC was here right from the formation of the Indian Union. The problem is not restricted to Meghalaya, North Eastern Region but even in Jammu and Kashmir. It is not the BJP or the NPP who has created this problem. The INC should be solely held responsible for the present turmoil in the country,” he stated.

Thangkhiew also claimed that he had several telephonic talks with the then State Home Minister Roshan Warjri to ensure that peaceful dialogues may take place and rued that it did not fructify. However, in his statement that it’s his homecoming (even after waging 30 years of war against the nation), he expressed his willingness to act as a negotiator between the existing HNLC leadership and the government. The Government has made it clear that surrender and shunning the path of violence for any possible peace dialogues. Sources within the police said that there are mere 15 odd cadres of the HNLC. They are under the leadership of Booby Marwei, the self-styled commander in-chief of the outfit, senior leader Bah-hep Metal and Bulit.