Meghalaya: 2 active cadres of banned HNLC surrender before police
The Meghalaya police said the cadres have given insights into the proscribed outfit’s recruitment strategy, online radicalisation methods, and ongoing efforts to regroup across the border
Shillong: Two active cadres of the banned Hynñiewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) have surrendered before Meghalaya police, officials said on Friday.
The cadres have given insights into the proscribed outfit’s recruitment strategy, online radicalisation methods, and ongoing efforts to regroup across the border.
The two cadres, Dibarius Jyrwa (32) and Ridor Lyngdoh Nonglait (30), both residents of Mairang, told police during preliminary interviews that they were misled by one Samuel Wahlang Pahsyntiew, a key accused in the 2024 Shillong Syndicate Bus Stand IED blast case, to join the HNLC.
They admitted they crossed over to Bangladesh with him, where they were housed in a mixed Hindu-Muslim locality but could not identify the exact location.
Once in Bangladesh, they were assigned cultivation duties—primarily areca nut farming—which they said had no relation to the political or ideological aims they had been sold.
Disenchanted, they escaped the camp on June 20 and surrendered six days later, expressing regret for joining the outfit and a desire to return to mainstream life. The duo has since been handed over to East Khasi Hills police, where they are being debriefed further by a senior officer of the rank of SP.
EWKH superintendent of police (SP), Dangsan Khyriem, confirming their surrender, said, “The two individuals were misled and later found themselves engaged in activities that had no ideological value. Their surrender is a reflection of how disillusionment can set in when the reality doesn’t match the rhetoric. We’re hopeful their decision will encourage others to come forward.”
Their surrender comes at a time when intelligence agencies are increasingly alarmed by the HNLC’s pivot to online radicalisation. Authorities believe the group, whose top leadership remains holed up in Maulvi Bazar, Bangladesh, is attempting to rebuild its cadre base using encrypted messaging platforms, social media outreach, and cross-border propaganda—all with low overhead and high reach.
These developments have gained sharper focus in the wake of a political shift in Bangladesh, following the fall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government. Reports of renewed militant activity, insurgent regrouping, and potential alliance-building between outfits like HNLC, ULFA-I, and NSCN have prompted security forces to raise their guard across the Northeast.
While many of these recruitment efforts have failed, officials say even a handful of successful radicalisations can pose serious security risks. “The internet has become a force multiplier for insurgent groups. Their traditional networks may be fractured, but digital platforms now offer a wider net with fewer risks,” a senior intelligence officer said.
In fact, the HNLC’s growing reliance on digital radicalisation and extortion tactics was a key point in the Centre’s case before the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal, which recently upheld the Union Home Ministry’s November 2024 notification banning the group for another five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) originally passed in 1967. It was later amended several times, with significant changes in 2004, 2008, 2013, and most notably in 2019.
The Tribunal, presided by Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati high court, issued its final order on May 10, 2025, after hearing arguments from Subhash Chandra Keyal, Advocate for the Union of India, and Nilutpol Syngkon, appearing for the State of Meghalaya. No representative appeared on behalf of HNLC. The Tribunal held that HNLC’s continued engagement in armed insurgency, extortion, threats, and its digital outreach posed a “clear threat to India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
In its submission, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) cited that from November 16, 2019, to June 30, 2024, a total of 48 criminal cases had been registered against the HNLC and its cadres, including nine incidents involving IEDs. During this period, 73 cadres were arrested, three surrendered, and 14 weapons, 2,741 rounds of ammunition, 23 detonators, and one hand grenade were recovered.
Despite its diminished firepower and cadre strength, authorities say the HNLC still maintains seven transit and training camps in Bangladesh. While most of these are not full-fledged facilities, their continued existence—especially in areas like Pucthichera, Phanai Punaee, Arusumer, and Islapunjee—remains a cause for concern, a senior officer of the BSF Meghalaya Frontier confirmed.
Former HNLC chairman and ex-MLA Julius K Dorphang, who surrendered in 2007, had once famously declared, “HNLC is nothing now.” But with shifting tactics and digital expansion, authorities say it would be dangerous to underestimate the outfit. “They may be fewer in number, but they’re still in the game—and adapting,” noted a senior BSF officer.
As of now, both State and Central agencies have renewed their efforts to monitor sleeper cells, disrupt recruitment chains, and intensify surveillance on digital platforms. The Meghalaya Police have reiterated that while HNLC’s activities in Khasi Hills remain subdued, they are “not being taken lightly.”
