AIZAWL, March 30: Mizoram Government
and Hmar People’s Convention-Democratic
(HPC-D) are all set to
sign a peace agreement on Easter Monday,
April 2.
This was stated by Mizoram Chief
Minister Lal Thanhawla on the last day
of the State Assembly budget session
on Thursday.
This is a follow-up to the terms of agreement
signed between Mizoram Government
and the low-profile Zosangbera faction
of HPC-D. The other faction led by
HPC-D founder president Lalhmingthang
Sanate refused to talk with the government,
sticking to its demands for autonomous district
council for the Hmars in Mizoram.
HPC (D) is a faction of HPC which had
signed a Memorandum of Settlement
(MoS) with Mizoram Government in
1994. Dissatisfied with the peace agreement,
some leaders had formed HPC(D), which later launched an armed struggle
for Hmar autonomy in the north and
north-eastern parts of Mizoram.
A few years back, HPC (D) had split
into two factions – one led by Zosangbera
and the other presided over by
Sanate. Sanate was arrested by Assam
Police last month on murder charges.
It may be mentioned here that the
parent organisation, the erstwhile Hmar
People’s Convention (HPC), was formed
in 1986 soon after Mizo National Front
led by Laldenga and Indian Government
signed the Mizo Accord. Some Hmar
leaders felt that the Accord did not address
the creation of a greater Mizoram
comprising Hmar-inhabited areas in Mizoram,
Assam and Manipur.
The HPC laid down arms in 1994 following
a peace accord signed with Mizoram
Government to establish the Sinlung
Hills Development Council. Dissatisfied
with the accord, a section of the
outfit took up arms again a year later and
formed the HPC (D).
Besides more autonomy to Sinlung
Hills District Council, HPC-D demands
proper rehabilitation package for its cadres
after they give up arms. -ZODIN SANGA
Newmai News adds: The HPC-D
which has been pressing for an autonomous
district council in Mizoram decided to end
over two decades of hostilities with the government
by agreeing to settle for a watereddown
version of local self-governance in the
form of Sinlung Hills Council.
The CM said that the rebels had earlier
laid down some arms at Sesawng. “However,
in that event, not a single sophisticated
weapons were included. Some were
as rudimentary as pipe guns. This time
both sides seriously worked for peace and
everything has been worked out. Mizoram
government will be represented by
the Chief Secretary, he added.
According to sources, the arms laying
down ceremony will be held on April 12
at Sesawng, about 39 km from Aizawl.
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