Proposed Talks with ULFA Raise

Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)

May 17, 2005

Guwahati: The recent initiative of an Assamese litterateur to bring to the negotiation table a dreaded insurgent group of the Burma-bordering North-East India has raised hopes for a positive peace process in the entire region, torn by decades old violence. 

The enterprise of Dr Indira Goswami to break ice for the peace talks between the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and the Government of India has, at the same time, helped grow conscience among the common people for peace. 

The move has gained momentum with the central government reportedly preparing a formal invitation letter to the leaders of the banned armed outfit for talks to resolve the insurgency problem in Assam. 

The Prime Minister's Office (India) earlier sent a proposal inviting ULFA leaders for peace talks without any precondition. But the ULFA, which reportedly run training camps for its cadres inside Burma, rejected it asserting that 'sovereignty' should be the core issue or the talks. Now the Prime Minister's Office is reportedly preparing second letter to ULFA, as told by the peace initiator, Dr Goswami. "Hopefully, the letter should be ready within the next few weeks," she added. 

The ULFA, fighting New Delhi for a separate homeland in Assam since 1979, has shown interest in negotiation following the single handed effort of Dr. Goswami, winner of the country's prestigious Jnanpith award for literature. The author, popularly known as Mamoni Raisom Goswami among the Assamese readers, had met Prime Minister Dr Singh at South Block on November 16 last. She had expressed satisfaction that "Dr Singh was very positive" on the issue. 

The Delhi University professor, who teaches Modern Indian Language Mamoni, said the Prime Minister had acknowledged the reasons behind the prolonged problems in Assam. She also revealed that Dr Singh, who represents Assam in Rajya Sabha, was interested in solving the problem and restoring peace during his term. Mamoni, who is understood to be in touch with the hardcore ULFA top leaders through telephone, had also submitted a draft note justifying the need to discuss the issue of 'sovereignty'.

Putting forth three conditions for negotiation with the government, the armed outfit had demanded that the talks should be held in a third country under supervision of the United Nations and that soverignty should be the prime issue. But more recently, the underground group has given up the first two conditions, though sticking to the sovereignty issue. After Mamoni met Dr Singh, ULFA’s military chief Paresh Barua maintained that the talks with the government would be on the issue of 'sovereignty'. ULFA’s political chief Arabinda Rajkhowa too, while welcoming the effort of Mamoni, said the core issue of the negotiation must be the sovereignty of Assam.

In the latest (Volume 7, Issue 3, 15 May 2005) issue of "Freedom", the mouthpiece of the outfit, ULFA maintained that the government in New Delhi "must formally and sincerely declare to hold talks with ULFA on the issue of sovereignty of Assam." It also added, "Enduring peace could be established in Assam only when our people become liberated from oppression and exploitation of Indian colonial rule. Other than that any Indian initiative would only be a deliberate attempt to sidetrack the core issue thereby prolonging a satisfactory resolution of the conflict."  

But amidst all the development, Mamoni is waiting for the second invitation letter from the PMO. "Assam must hope for peace and prosperity. If I can overcome all my traumatic occurrence and dream for better days, why not the people of Assam can do so?" said the brave lady, who lost her husband in an accident in Kashmir just after one year of marriage. For Mamoni it was almost the end of her world. But she did not give up. To overcome the disaster, she took to friendship with books and that habit of reading finally helped her to depict the reality surrounding her. Mamoni has penned over hundred short stories and sixteen novels till date.

Meanwhile, political party leaders, student bodies and other social organisations have welcomed Goswami's initiative and hope for peace with an early negotiation between the government and the ULFA.