The Union government has declared the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), a Meghalaya-based insurgent group, as a banned organization for the next five years. This decision follows the group's involvement in violent incidents and activities harmful to India's sovereignty and integrity. According to the notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the central government believes that the HNLC has aimed to secede areas in Meghalaya, mainly inhabited by the Khasi and Jaintia tribes, through intimidation and extortion of funds from civilians to support their cause.

The notification also pointed out that the HNLC has maintained connections with other insurgent groups in the Northeast, engaging in criminal activities such as extortion and intimidation. The group is involved in 48 criminal cases, including explosions and the planting of explosives in Meghalaya between November 2019 and June 2024.

During this period, security forces arrested 73 HNLC cadres. The Ministry emphasized that the activities of the HNLC, including its factions and front organizations, pose a significant threat to India's sovereignty and integrity.

The Ministry expressed concern that if the group's actions are not swiftly controlled, it could regroup, rearm, and expand its operations, potentially leading to further violence, including the loss of civilian and security personnel lives and damage to property.

Given these reasons, the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to ban the HNLC and all its related factions and organizations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, with immediate effect for five years.

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