Once the faces of terror, cadres of the Achik National Volunteer Council today took up guitars to celebrate the spirit of Independence Day through the soothing sound of music.
Once the faces of terror, cadres of the Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) today took up guitars to celebrate the spirit of Independence Day through the soothing sound of music.
As the rest of the north-east observed the day amid a boycott call by six rebel groups of the region, the ANVC cadres, currently on ceasefire, enthralled a 1,000-strong audience at the District Auditorium of Tura in West Garo Hills.
State assembly speaker Charles Pyngrope and many top government officials also attended the concert, which began
with a song from ANVC organising secretary Torik K Marak.
Besides their own compositions, invited bands also performed numbers from Nickel Back, Beatles, Mettalica and Greenday in the concert, which continued till late in the evening.
"ANVC is not into violence. Our objective is to focus on peace in Garo hills. We are very serious about peace talks with the government," Marak, also the ANVC spokesman, said.
Ironically, the four Khasi-Jaintia districts in Meghalaya observed a shutdown called by another rebel group, the banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC).
However, in the three districts of Garo hills, enthusiasm was noticed among people as the celebrations witnessed good turn-outs.
ANVC, the ban on which had expired in November, 2008, has around 175 cadres.
Formed in December 1995, the ANVC had entered into a tripartite ceasefire agreement on July 23, 2004, which has been extended every three months.
There have been two rounds of talks with the interlocutor so far.
Earlier in March, ANVC had a meeting with Centre's interlocutor PC Haldar in Shillong over their demand for a separate Garoland Territorial Council, an autonomous body for all the three districts of Garo Hills — East, West and South — on the lines of Bodoland Territorial Council in Assam.
They have been insisting on this council after dropping their demand for a separate Garoland state.
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