Guwahati: The pro-talk NDFB(P) on Sunday threatened not to take part in the peace dialogue, being held for past seven years, with the Centre unless it is held at the political level to resolve its demand for Bodoland state.
“We are not against the talk. Therefore, we demand a direct invitation from the Union Home Minister for holding the dialogue at the political level under the Chairmanship of Home Minister”, NDFB(P) said in an email to the media here. “We are still eager for having a peaceful negotiated settlement of our people’s political demand. But the level at which it is being engaged by the Government of India in dealing with the movement for Boroland” (Bodoland) “can never resolve this political demand”, “It is really an insult to the Boro” (Bodo) “and other tribal people of Assam. We have decided not to take part in the dialogue unless it is held at the political level”, said NDFB (P) information and publicity secretary S. Sanjarang.
“Since the demand for Boroland state is a political demand which needs to be resolved at the political level, we demand for prompt and necessary steps to expedite and hold the dialogue in the political level”, Sanjarang said.
“At the meeting with Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on January, 16, 2013, we placed the demands before him to expedite the dialogue with NDFB (P), to adopt pragmatic and clear cut policy to resolve the demand for Boroland state and to hold the dialogue at the political level instead of wasting time by letting it happen at the bureaucratic level, to resolve the demand once for all”, the email said.
“As a result of the meeting with the Home Minister we had the latest round of dialogue in New Delhi on the 31st January, 2013, under the Chairmanship of (interlocutor) P C Haldar. “But it seemed to be an exercise to side-track from the issue as the government is handling at an inappropriate level which has no authority to resolve the political issue”, he claimed.
Meanwhile The budget session of the Assam Assembly would begin from March four.
The opening day of the session would be addressed by Governor J B Patnaik and the 2013-14 budget for the state would be presented on March 11, an official release said.
The 18-day session would end on April 5, the release added. (PTI)