HNLC to demand ‘Semi-Sovereign Status’

Newmai News Network
Shillong, Jan 19 : The proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has released its "manifesto" for freedom, justice, equality and identity of the Hynniewtrep people.
The manifesto, which consists ten chapters, also seeks to demand the Centre for recognition of Hynniewtrep's Semi-Sovereign Status, engage in direct dialogue to restore "our autonomy and rectify decades of injustice and acknowledge the violation of the Standstill Agreement and the coercive nature of the Instrument of Accession (IOA)".
"This manifesto is our declaration of war against oppression and our blueprint for National rebirth. It is a clarion call to every Hynniewtrep to know their history, embrace their identity, and fight for their future. Together, we will sow the seeds of pride, knowledge, and unity in the minds and hearts of our people. The Hynniewtrep nation will rise, not as subjects but as sovereigns. Independence is not a dream—it is our destiny," the outfit said.
In chapter ten of the manifesto, the HNLC while demanding for recognition of Hynniewtrep's Semi-Sovereign Status said, "The people of Hynniewtrep demand the recognition of our semi-sovereign status, rooted in the historical agreements of the Instrument of Accession (IOA) and the Standstill Agreement of 1947. These agreements, intended to safeguard our autonomy, were signed under coercion and amidst grave injustices perpetrated by the Government of India.”
“The Standstill Agreement of August 1947, signed between the Federation of Khasi States and the Indian government, was meant to allow a two-year period for negotiating our relationship. Yet, this agreement was violated within three months, and under military pressure, the leadership of Hynniewtrep was forced to sign the IOA in December 1947. This betrayal transformed what was meant to be a voluntary and respectful union into a forced inclusion, undermining our cultural, political, and economic rights,” it added.