Shillong, Oct 18: Hynñiewtrep National Liberation Council “general secretary” Cheristerfield Thangkhiew who ended his association with the organization after 31 years of arms struggle, said that he has no regret over the loss of lives in the past, and he has no regret for being with the HNLC and for leaving the organization now.

Thangkhiew surrendered before the Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong in the presence of acting DGP, R.P. Agarwal and other senior police officers.

Speaking to media persons, Thangkhiew said that he has retired from the HNLC and he returned to the state through the government.

He also denied that there was a fight for leadership between him and “commander-in-chief” Bobby Marweiñ which led to the inability of the HNLC to have its new “chairman” in place of Julias K. Dorphang who deserted the organization and surrendered before former Chief Minister, D.D. Lapang on July 24, 2007.

“It was my personal decision to leave after I decided to retire from the organization. There were no differences in the organization over leadership and I have been telling the members that I would retire from the organization. There was no enmity and I still have contacts and good relationship with the HNLC cadres,” he said.

On the stand of the Meghalaya government that it would hold talks to militant organisation only if they give up arms, Thangkhiew said, that the HNLC had proposed for unconditional peace talks, but the government was not serious, and no invitation has reached the organization officially, except appeal through the media.

“Appealing only through the media will reach nowhere,” he said.

To a question whether he would join politics like Dorphang, Thangkhiew said that he wanted to continue serving the people and serving the people does not mean only as an MLA or MDC.

The former HNLC leader, also slammed the Indian National Congress and held it responsible for various problems in the hill state.

Asked if he regretted over the loss of many precious lives which include HNLC members, security personnel and the public, Thangkhiew said that he did not regret over the loss of precious lives which include the security personnel, HNLC cadres and the members of public.

“I did not regret at all …. and I did not regret for joining the HNLC and for leaving it now,” Thangkhiew said.

The HNLC was fighting for a sovereign “Hynñiewtrep Land” for the Khasi and Jaiñtia people, but it did not materialize.

Thangkhiew also claimed that all his weapons were left in his hideout in Bangladesh and he did not carry them along, as he feared arrest by Bangladeshi forces.

Slamming the Indian National Congress and the previous Congress-led government in Meghalaya for not being “serious” in holding talks with the HNLC, Thangkhiew said, “During the Congress-led government, I personally had a telephonic conversation with the former Home Minister, Roshan Wajri, but the Congress party and the previous government did not take it seriously.”

“Since inception of the Indian Union, all problems were created by the Indian National Congress. The Congress was not serious in solving problems,” he alleged.

Asked if he would join politics like Dorphang, Thangkhiew said that he wanted to serve the people and serving does not mean only MLA or MDC.

Whether he would play the role of negotiator to bring all HNLC leaders and cadres to the mainstream, Thangkhiew said, he was ready if the government needed him.

Whether his surrender indicates the end of HNLC, he said, “I cannot comment about this, since I have retired from the organization. I am no longer with the organization now, but the HNLC still has leaders and cadres.” He did not want to reveal the strength of the HNLC at present.

Many HNLC cadres who surrendered before the police in the past had revealed that HNLC cadres in Bangladesh did not work for achieving the objective of the organization but they ended their living as daily labourers in somebody’s quarry, betel leaf and betel nut plantations in Bangladesh.

“To be in HNLC it does not mean carrying arms only arms. When you join the HNLC, you have to do all types of work in order to survive and you should know cooking, and all other works too,” he said.