The Hynñiewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has decided to legally challenge its designation as an unlawful organization by the Government of India, a tag it has held since 2002.
The announcement was made by Sadon Blah, the official interlocutor for the HNLC peace talks, alongside lawyer Fernando Shangpliang.
This marks the first time that HNLC has sought legal recourse against its banned status since a Tribunal was set up in 2002 to review the designation. Fernando Shangpliang will represent HNLC in the Tribunal’s hearing, scheduled for March 22 at the State Convention Centre, Shillong.
The Tribunal will be presided over by Justice Soumitra Saikia, with Subhash Chandra Keyal, the Learned Special Counsel for the Union of India, representing the Central Government. Meghalaya’s state government will be represented by senior police officers, including IPS and SP-level officials.
Sadon Blah stated that since the beginning of the peace talks, efforts have been made to negotiate the removal of HNLC’s unlawful status. He emphasised that this legal step indicates HNLC’s continued interest in dialogue, despite previous peace talks with the government failing to yield results.
