Aizawl: The Mizoram government is set to sign a peace agreement with the faction of the Hmar People's Convention (Democratic) led by Lalhmingthanga Sanate on April 14 at Sakawrdai , officials from the state Home Department said on Monday.
According to officials, the pact will be signed between the home secretary, on behalf of the state govt, and HPC (D) president Sanate, on behalf of the Hmar outfit, in the presence of the adviser to CM (political) Lalmuanpuia Punte.
The signing ceremony will also mark the surrender of 43 HPC(D) cadres, who are expected to lay down their arms and subsequently enter a rehabilitation programme later this month.
The development follows a recent round of discussions held in Aizawl between government officials and an HPC(D) delegation headed by Sanate.
The talks, which took place at Punte's office, concluded with an understanding that authorities believe could effectively bring an end to the Hmar insurgency in the state.
Sources said the HPC(D) has not placed any political demands. Instead, the agreement is expected to include a development package, particularly focusing on improving rural connectivity in areas under the Sinlung Hills Council.
The government will also provide rehabilitation support and general amnesty to former underground members. Compensation for surrendered weapons will follow the rates fixed by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Sanate-led faction is regarded as the last active group associated with the Hmar insurgency, which began in the late 1980s. The movement originated with the formation of the Hmar People's Convention in 1986 as a political platform advocating self-governance for Hmar-inhabited areas of Mizoram.
In April 1987, the organisation launched an armed movement demanding the creation of an autonomous district council under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, and the conflict escalated significantly by the early 1990s.
A major breakthrough occurred on July 27, 1994, when the Mizoram government and the Hmar People's Convention signed a settlement that led to the establishment of the Sinlung Hills Development Council. Following the accord, 308 militants surrendered along with their weapons.
However, disagreements over the implementation of the agreement led a section of the cadres to break away from the overground HPC later that year and form the HPC(D) under Sanate's leadership.