Aizawl, Dec. 3: Mizoram government and the Manipur-based militant outfit, Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic), would hold the third round of peace talks by mid-December, a state home department official today said.
The exact date would be finalised in a meeting on Monday, Additional Secretary for Home Lalbiakzama, who headed the state government delegation in the previous rounds of meeting, told PTI.
Earlier, rounds of talks were held in cordial atmosphere with both the sides being optimistic about the outcome of the parleys. Several grounds have been covered during the previous rounds when according higher autonomy and power to the Sinlung Hill Development Council (SHDC) was deliberated, he said.
The SHDC was established in the north eastern part of the state adjoining Manipur where a large number of Hmar community people are living in a compact area, in accordance with the provisions of the agreement between the state government and the erstwhile underground HPC in 1994.
The HPC (D) was formed after the surrender of the HPC cadres to the authorities, by some leaders who were not satisfied with the terms of the agreement and continued to demand a separate autonomous district council under the Sixth schedule of the Constitution.
The six-member HPC (D) delegation led by Lalthalien said that the outfit dropped the demand for a separate autonomous district council. The first round of talks was held in Aizawl on August 10 and the second round on October five.
The peace talks in 2013 were derailed by disagreement on the period of extension of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) after which a spate of violence was experienced in the state resulting in the deaths of three policemen and one Hmar militant.
