New Delhi: ULFA’s elusive ‘commander-in- chief’ Paresh Baruah and members of his group will not be “harassed” by security agencies if they come forward for peace talks with the government for finding a lasting solution to 34-year-old insurgency in Assam, state Governor J B Patnaik said on Sunday.
Asking Barua to shun violence, the governor said no action will be taken against him and other leaders in his group if they come to the negotiating table. “Once they decide to come to the negotiating table, then there will be no question of taking action against them. They would not be harassed (by security agencies),” Patnaik told PTI here. The Centre has been holding dialogue with pro-talk faction of ULFA led by its ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa in the last two years after the group signed a ‘suspension of operation’ pact in September 2011. Expressing satisfaction over progress of peace talks, Patnaik termed the group led by Rajkhowa as “real ULFA” and said there may be some significant announcement “soon” on the outcome of the dialogue held so far. However, he refused to divulge any details in this regard. “The talks are progressing well. The groups involved in talks are satisfied. If they are satisfied then government is also satisfied. There may be some kind of announcement soon,” he said. Quoting reports, the governor said Barua mostly lives in China and Bangladesh.
“That man (Barua) insists on sovereignty which is a day dream. How can any country consider such a demand?” Patnaik said. Noting that the situation in Assam was peaceful, he said people of the state have rejected the path of violence and want peace and development in the state. The pro-talk faction had submitted its charter of demands to then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in 2011 which was followed by several rounds of talks with the Union Home Ministry. The 12-point charter of demands include amendment to the Constitution for finding “meaningful” ways to protect the rights and identity of the indigenous people of Assam, greater control over the state’s natural resources, participation in the planning process and “concrete steps” for accelerated and balanced development of the state.
Other demands of the group include discussion on status report on missing Ulfa leaders and cadres numbering around 50 including those missing since 2005 when Bhutan had conducted offensives, and other socio-economic issues. Besides Rajkhowa, the pro-talks faction include ULFA’s ‘vice-chairman’ Pradip Gogoi, ‘foreign secretary’ Sasha Choudhury, ‘finance secretary’ Chitrabon Hazarika, publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary and ‘deputy commander in chief’ Raju Baruah. Rajkhowa led an eight-member team during introductory talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram in February 2011. After the last meeting with Union Home Ministry in March, Rajkhowa had said both sides held point-by-point discussions on the group’s charter of demands and to find a “political solution” to over three-decade-old insurgency problem in Assam. Baruah is opposed to any dialogue with the government till the ‘sovereignty’ issue is on the table.
Asked about demands for separate states by four ethnic groups to be curved out of Assam, Patnaik said, “I am of the firm opinion that Assam should not be bifurcated. I have come to the conclusion that no purpose will be served if the state is bifurcated.” The UPA government’s decision to create Telangana has brought long-standing demands by four ethnic groups for separate states carved out of Assam to the fore, with violence and agitation erupting in the state last month. The Bodos, Karbis, Dimasas and Koch-Rajbongshis have demanded separate states. The hill district of Karbi Anglong witnessed violence following announcement by the Centre that a separate state of Telengana will be created. Protesters demanding a state of Karbi Anglong had attacked government offices and homes of politicians last month following the Centre’s decision on Telangana.
The militant outfit Karbi Peoples Liberation Tigers had called a shutdown for 12 days in support of their demand. The protests soon spread to the neighbouring Dima Hasao district forcing the leadership of both the autonomous councils to rush to New Delhi to seek the central government’s intervention. On demands by Karbi people, Patnaik said the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council should be given more powers. “The Centre should give them more powers,” Patnaik said, adding he has already given his inputs to the government on the issue. (PTI)