[Assam] Homeland eh! Not a Sovereign Assam State? Nava Thakuria you have shown your true colour.

[Bartta Bistar]

*Rising uncertainties in Asom peace talks*
By Nava Thakuria
Thu, 14 Sep 2006, 10:07:00

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The peace talks between the Government of India and the banned United
Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) is facing rough road. While the government
is insisting a formal letter from the banned outfit expressing its
willingness for the talks, the armed group remains equally inflexible to get
five of their senior colleagues to get released from jails before such
initiative. Finally the peace talks remain a matter of speculation for both
civil society and the media. What is emerged out of the recent political
development that the deadlock in peace talks only continues. Otherwise the
outfit leaders say they are interested for direct talks and New Delhi says
the government is eager to hold the discussions.

Meanwhile, during the last meeting with the government in New Delhi, two
negotiators on behalf of ULFA were informed that the government was
interested for direct talks, but the outfit must fulfill some preconditions.
In an hour-long meeting with the envoys, Dr Indira (Mamoni Raisom) Goswami
and Reboti Phukon on September 5 at the Prime Minister's Office in South
Block, the National Security Adviser, MK Narayanan reiterated the stand of
the government. While Mr Narayanan denied any move from the government for
releasing the detained ULFA central committee members until official
communication received from the ULFA, the Union Home Secretary, VK Duggal,
who was also present in the meeting, insisted that the armed group would
refrain from violent activities as well as serving any extortion notices
here after.

Following a deadlock in the last couple of weeks, the situation improved
while New Delhi declared suspension of Army operation against the ULFA on
August 13 and later extended for another 15 days (once more it was extended
for another 10 days on September 5). The ULFA, on the other hand, declared
its restrainment against the security forces. But soon the stalemate
emerged, when New Delhi wanted a written letter from the outfit for
proceeding to peace talks. The government says it is necessary as a prelude
to direct talks between the ULFA and the government in New Delhi. However,
the outfit, which is fighting New Delhi for a homeland of Asomiya people
since 1979, declined to send any formal letter as a commitment for direct
talks. Dr Goswami, the chief negotiator leading an ULFA nominated 11-member
delegation representing the civil societies (named as People's Consultative
Group) confirmed the denial, saying, "The ULFA has conveyed a message
maintaining that it was not possible for it to send any written commitment
for the direct talks with the government." Of course, the outfit leaders
insisted that they would send formal letter to New Delhi immediately after
the release of five central committee members, who are serving jail terms.

The ULFA military chief Paresh Barua, while talking a section of Guwahati
based media persons recently, reiterated that they would sit for talks
immediately after the release of the outfit's vice-president Pradip Gogoi,
political adviser Bhimkanta Buragohain, publicity secretary Mithingia
Daimary, cultural secretary Pranati Deka with a senior leader Ramu Mech.
Regarding the apprehension of the government that the outfit might make a
plan to get back the jailed leaders and then get vanished, Mr Barua declared
that they would assure that those freed leaders would not flee Asom.

The ULFA, meanwhile, argued that the government itself was delaying the
peace process by putting condition in the form of a formal letter from it
expressing willingness for talks. The latest (September 1) issue of
Swadhinata, the mouthpiece of the outfit, described the attitude of the
government as a trick to create doubts among the people of the state.
"Moreover, it was aimed to malign the image of the PCG and that way creating
conflict between the PCG and the ULFA," the mouthpiece, in Asomiya language
added.

More recently, a group of Asom based editor, journalist, writer, scholar and
social activists have appealed both the ULFA and New Delhi to come forward
for the much awaited peace talks. The appeal, released to the media,
observed that the government of India has made the situation complicated
putting preconditions for the direct talks.

At the same time the appeal, signed by Hiren Gohain (eminent scholar and
columnist), Nalinidhar Bhattacharya (littérateur), Kanaksen Deka (editor,
Dainik Agradoot), Khiren Roy (editor, Asomiya Khabar), Nitya Borah
(columnist), Dilip Chandan (editor, Asom Bani), Adip Kumar Phukan
(columnist) with Khagen Mahanta, Indibar Deuri, Bijan Kr Mohajan, Harin
Mahanta, Noni Gopal Mahanta, Pulak Choudhury, Prakash Mahanta etc, also
urged the armed group not to take the formal communication as a matter of
prestige and extend hands for peace talks.

(Nava Thakuria is a journalist based in Guwahati, Assam, India.)
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