[Assam] India’s ‘peace initiative’ means forcing ULFA surrender with arms and the ULFA giving up Assam’s Sovereignty restoration demand. Would such meaningless approaches get India anywhere? Seems unlikely.

[Bartta Bistar]

Ulfa shows no response to govt`s peace call: Governor

http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=350187&sid=REG

Guwahati, Jan 26: The banned Ulfa has never shown a positive response to the
government's peace initiatives through direct talks, Assam Governor Lt Gen
(Retd) Ajai Singh said today.

In his Republic Day address at the official function here today Singh said,
"the Ulfa's agreeing to talk through the people's consultative group with
the Government of India in 2005 appears to be motivated".

"They had actually regrouped and consolidated their weak positions to some
extent by taking advantage of the ceasefire during the period of such
indirect talks. They have never shown a positive response to the
government's peace initiatives through direct talks", the Governor said.

He said the administration was determined to put down all kinds of terrorist
violence with a firm hand.

"However, the Prime Minister had reiterated while visiting Assam (recently)
that door for such direct talks is still open provided the outfit shuns
violence and shows positive response to the peace initiatives," he pointed
out.

The Central and Assam governments had been inviting the Ulfa and other
insurgent groups for negotiated settlement of their demands through direct
talks, Singh said.

For combating insurgency and providing security to the people, the Governor
said, "a two-pronged strategy had been adopted by the state government --
counter-insurgency measures against militant groups and secondly a peaceful
negotiated settlement with willing insurgent groups."

Stating remarkable success was achieved by the security forces in
anti-insurgency operations, he said, "in counter- insurgency operation in
2006 the most noticeable feature is return of a good number of misguided
youths to the social mainstream".

Bureau Report
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