Explained: What is HNLC, the militant group behind Shillong IED blast?

Sunday’s blast

At 6.39 pm on Sunday, an IED was detonated at the entrance of the famous Centre Point building in Shillong’s commercial hub, Police Bazar (Khyndailad). While no casualties were reported, the blast damaged the wall, windowpanes and signage of the shops located in the building. Following the blast, Crime Scene Unit and a bomb disposal squad were dispatched to the site. A case was registered in Shillong’s Sadar police station. The person arrested — a youth — claimed that he was the area commander of Shillong region of the HNLC.

HNLC: origins of the group

The HNLC, which demands a sovereign Khasi homeland in Meghalaya, is a breakaway faction of the Hynniewtrep Achik Liberation Council (HALC), the first militant tribal outfit of the state, formed in the mid-1980s.

‘Hynniewtrep’ refers to the Khasi and Jaintia communities, and ‘Achik’ to the Garo community. In 1992, the HALC split into HNLC, which represented the Khasis and the Jaintias, and the Achik Matgrik Liberation Army, which represented the Garos and was subsequently replaced by the Achik National Volunteers Council (ANVC).

According to South Asia Terrorism Portal, an important objective of the HNLC is to “transform Meghalaya as a province exclusively for the Khasi tribe and free it from ‘domination’ by the Garo tribe.” Another objective is to “fight against the presence of ‘outsiders’, as the HNLC feels that Khasi youth are deprived of the fruits of development in the state.”

The HNLC is seen as representative of Khasi identity and pride, and most of the top leadership is based out of Bangladesh. In the early 2000s, the group would frequently call for bandhs, boycott Independence Day, carry out extortions etc.

However, according to the Centre for Development and Peace Studies (CDPS), an independent research centre in Assam, “sustained counter-insurgency operations over the years” weakened both HNLC and ANVC.

Since July 23, 2004, the ANVC has been under an extended ceasefire agreement with the government, while HNLC’s top leadership, based in Bangladesh, continues to resist any type of peace deals.

Current status

Police sources said the HNLC was trying to initiate talks with the government, but on its terms — which has remained a road block.

“A number of parleys with central agencies was initiated but the group had made demands that it was not possible to make any progress – so nothing came out of it,” said a police source.

Currently, the groups ‘commander-in-chief’, Bobby Marwein, is based in Bangladesh, along with five other leaders. They have about 19 cadres, said the source.

In Meghalaya, they have been responsible for three blasts in the state since July 2021. “Here, they are influencing young minds on social media… they want to keep the pot boiling,” said the source.

While most of these blasts have been low intensity, the group was in limelight in August 2021, after its founding secretary Cherishterfield Thangkhiew, was killed in a police operation, leading to breakdown of law and order in Shillong.

It was alleged that Thangkhiew, who had “retired” from militancy in 2018, was involved in the 2021 blasts. Following that, he died in a police operation in the dead of the night. While the police claimed he was killed in “retaliatory firing”, his family described the killing as “cold-blooded murder” and a “fake encounter”.

Following his death, there was a breakdown of law and order on August 15, 2021 in Shillong. Stone pelting, vandalism and arson rocked the town, and in a particularly grim incident, masked miscreants took hold of a police vehicle, snatching arms from policemen, and parading it around the city. Internet services were blocked for 72 hours in four districts and central forces were deployed.

In a statement signed by the HNLC general secretary-cum-publicity secretary, Saiñkupar Nongtraw, claiming responsibility for Sunday’s blast, said that the motive was to “warn non indigenous traders at Khyndailad to pay taxes” and to avenge the death of Thangkhiew.

“He is no more but we will repay with blood for blood. Those who were involved in killing him will not get away from the HNLC — be it ministers or police officers,” the statement said.

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