GUWAHATI, June 3: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said a peace treaty was likely to be signed with Karbi insurgent groups any day next week.
Addressing a media conference at Assam Bhawan in New Delhi, Sarma said he has already discussed the issue with the Union home secretary and intelligence bureau (IB) during his visit to the national capital.
“The Assam government has given the ‘go-ahead’ yesterday. Only the last round of talks with the insurgent groups, which had laid down arms in February, remains. So I believe the Karbi peace accord will be signed any day next week,” Sarma said.
Over 1000 rebels, belonging to five Karbi insurgent outfits such as the People’s Democratic Council of Karbi Longri (PDCK), Karbi Longri NC Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF), Karbi People’s Liberation Tiger (KPLT), Kuki Liberation Front (KLF) and United Peoples Liberation Army (UPLA) laid down arms at a surrender ceremony here in February this year.
ULFA (I) talks
Asked about the possibility of peace talks with United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I), the chief minister categorically said that “while the sovereignty of the country would not be compromised, despite the outfit demanding a sovereign state, a middle path would have to be created to bring the outfit to the talks table.”
“As elected public representatives, ministers take oath to protect the sovereignty of India and it cannot be compromised. So even as ULFA-I wants a sovereign state, this aspect will not figure in the talks,” Sarma said.
“But the positive aspect is that both the government and ULFA (I) want peace. The people of Assam want permanent peace. So, we have to find out a way even as it will take time to usher in permanent peace,” he said.
“Meanwhile, discussions are on in Delhi, Dispur and even in the ULFA-I camp in this regard. As chief minister, I will contribute in whatever way I can to create a conducive atmosphere for peace talks,” he added.