Retzawl residents accord warm welcome to HPCD leaders after MoS signing

 Haflong, March 17: Residents of Retzawl village, located about 15 km from Haflong, turned out in large numbers on Tuesday to warmly welcome leaders of the Hmar People’s Convention – Democracy (HPCD) following the successful and historic signing of the Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) on March 15.

Marking the occasion, a well-attended thanksgiving meeting was held at Retzawl, where all MoS signatories of the HPCD, along with their cadres, were felicitated for their role in the peace process.

The programme began with a condolence tribute to departed leaders and cadres, followed by speeches from key leaders, including David L. Hmar, Chairman and Remsang Hmar, Secretary HPCD. They spoke in detail about the significance of the MoS, expressing optimism that it would bring lasting peace and pave the way for overall development of the Hmar community in Assam.

The leaders also extended their appreciation to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other stakeholders for their sustained efforts in facilitating the agreement.

During the meeting, the Gaon Bura (village headman) of Retzawl submitted a memorandum to the Chairman of HPCD (Assam Region), urging for the establishment of a regional headquarters of the Hmar Welfare and Development Council at Retzawl.

The memorandum highlighted that Retzawl village is centrally located and easily accessible to several surrounding villages, making it a suitable site for the proposed headquarters. It further stated that the proposal has full support from the local residents and village authorities.

According to the memorandum, setting up the regional headquarters at Retzawl would significantly improve coordination and implementation of welfare and development initiatives for the Hmar community in the region.