28 HNLC militants surrender before Meghalaya Govt

28 militants of the banned Hynniewtrep National Volunteer Council, including two women, on Tuesday surrendered before Meghalaya Govt.

Twenty-eight militants of the banned Hynniewtrep National Volunteer Council (HNLC), including two women, on Tuesday surrendered before Meghalaya government.

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At a function organised by the state government, they laid down their arms before Chief Minister D D Lapang, They deposited 2 AK assault rifles, 3 AK magazines, 1 revolver, 1 carbine, 2 Chinese hand grenades and 90 rounds of AK ammunition.

Welcoming the militants back to the mainstream, Lapang urged HNLC and Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) ultras to come overground as such a life was not "worth living."

He appreciated their bold decision to give up arms and told them not to have any regrets about the past and struggle for a better life in the future.

The rebels said they had come overground due to the "mistrust and non-caring attitude" of the HNLC leadership.

They said some of the cadres were "eliminated" in the training camp itself as they wanted to return to the mainstream.

Sanborlang Kharlyngdoh, who held the post of 'sergeant major' of HNLC and was trained in Bangladesh's Chitagong Hill Tracts, said a few of his friends were killed by the organisation.

One of the women ultras Andreas Jyrwa, earlier based in Bangladesh, said she followed her husband who had surrendered before. "I was not contributing anything to the organisation by living in Bangladesh."

Among those present at the function were senior police officials, church leaders and the relatives of the surrendering militants.

President of Khasi Jaintia Church Leader Forum P Lyngdoh gave bibles to each of the surrendering ultras on the occasion.