Meghalaya: HNLC issues warning to VPP chief over Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council dispute

The banned militant organisation Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has escalated its confrontation with Voice of the People Party, cautioning party president Ardent M Basaiawmoit against what it described as overreach in matters linked to indigenous governance.

The warning follows Basaiawmoit’s recent criticism of the group’s involvement in the functioning of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, particularly over the prolonged delay in issuing the appointment to the Syiem of Hima Sohra. The HNLC has maintained that the delay is politically motivated and linked to the role of the KHADC’s acting chief executive, whom it alleges is aligned with the VPP.

In a statement issued on December 22, the group’s general secretary asserted that the organisation stood by its intervention, arguing that issues affecting traditional institutions and indigenous rights could not be treated as neutral administrative matters. The HNLC dismissed calls for it to stay away from KHADC affairs, claiming legitimacy in intervening wherever indigenous interests are involved.

The statement also carried a pointed rebuke of the VPP leader’s public posture, suggesting that moral authority could not be claimed while political affiliations shaped decisions within autonomous institutions. Alongside the criticism, the group signalled its intent to sharpen the ideological debate by announcing plans to publish a book titled The Blueprint of Hynńiewtrep, which it said would address questions raised by Basaiawmoit on identity, rights and political direction.

The exchange has once again brought the spotlight on tensions surrounding autonomous councils in Meghalaya, highlighting the fragile intersection of traditional authority, party politics and militant assertions of indigenous rights.