Guwahati, Jan 12: The Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) , a banned militant group active in western Assam and northern Bengal, has reiterated its interest in peace talks with the Centre, while informing that its leaders would soon reach India to engage in the deliberations.
In a statement on Wednesday, KLO chairman Jiban Singha Koch informed that “the leadership of the outfit will reach India within a very short time to participate in direct bilateral peace talks with the Government of India with a view to restore the status quo of the historical separate state of Kamatapur.”
Koch also sought all-round co-operation, constructive suggestions from all classes of people of Koch-Kamatapur and various nationalistic organisations in resolving the issue of long pending demand for a separate state of “Kamatapur” during the ensuing bilateral peace talks with the Government of India.
“The process of bilateral discussions between the Government of India and Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) on the issue of people of Koch-Kamatapur has reached its final stage under the able leadership of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, with active mediation of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma,” the KLO chairman stated.
Koch is believed to be camping in Myanmar, along with some armed cadres.
Notably, in December last year, the Assam chief minister had invited the outfit for “peace talks”.
“It has been decided to arrive at a solution for the long standing demand of reformation of separate state of Kamatapur as raised by Koch-Kamatapur people and its various representative organisations on the basis of the historic treaty signed on August 28, 1949 between the then Government of India and Independent Kamatapur,” the KLO chief said in the statement.
Only last week, the proscribed outfit had in a message sent via email, informed that the KLO’s ongoing peace talks with the Government of India “were almost complete”.