[Assam] Stalemate in Talks - AT Editorial

[Ram Sarangapani]

While trying to be really unbiased, I was trying to figure out what, if any,
the GOI can do.

If they release the prisoners, would they take off, like Anup Chetia? This
could well happen, specially if the talks don't move forward at any stage.

The GOI wants the ULFA to forward the names (in writing) about who is going
to participate in the talks. Obviously, the GOI does not want to release
those who are not going participate, plus the GOI would like the ULFA to
take full responsibility for those it releases. Why can't the ULFA give that
assurance to the GOI?

It is difficult to understand why the ULFA would want to put this up as a
major hurdle?

Highlights are mine.

____________________
ULFA talks stalemate
Though a congenial atmosphere for direct talks between the Government of
India and the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was created with the
suspension of hostilities by both the sides and peaceful celebration of the
Independence Day, the recent developments on the issue of release of the
five jailed central committee members have threatened to pose serious
hurdles in the way of the much-awaited talks. If the peace process fails
after making so much headway because of some minor disagreement, it will be
one of the most unfortunate incidents for Asom as the people of the State
suffered a lot due to insurgency in the past 27 years and majority of the
state's population want a peaceful and amicable end to the problem. *The
ULFA is demanding that its jailed central committee members including the
vice chairman of the outfit Pradeep Gogoi should be released to enable it to
take vital decisions regarding talks with the Government of India, but the
Government is not willing to do so without receiving a formal communication
from the outfit with the assurance of coming for direct talks.* *The
Government is also demanding that the ULFA should announce its team of
negotiators and a specific time frame saying as to when the outfit would
come for talks should be announced.* On the other hand, the ULFA is
insisting that the jailed central committee members of the outfit should be
released before it takes future steps regarding talks with the Government.
Such minor issues should not pose hurdles in the way of talks and both the
Government and the ULFA should adopt a lenient approach to pave the way for
direct talks to find an acceptable political solution to the problem.

*Of course, without any formal communication from the ULFA, it may be
difficult for the Government to release the jailed members of the militant
outfit as if the peace process fails, the Government will have to answer the
people of the country.* In the past also the Government of India faced
criticism on release of militant leaders and* once the Government released
the general secretary of the ULFA, Anup Chetia to enable him to hold
discussions with his colleagues to take decisions on the issue of talks with
the Government. But Chetia did not return after his release and that
incident must have played on the minds of the Government officials when they
faced the demand for the release of the central committee members of the
ULFA.* However, the Government can relax the other pre-conditions including
the demand for naming of the members of the team of negotiators. On its
part, there should *not be any problem on the part of the ULFA to give a
written assurance to the Government to come for talks if the outfit is
really serious in carrying forward* the peace process as the process should
no be allowed to fail on such minor issues. The ULFA is now insisting that
the decisions taken in the June 22 meeting between the Government of India
and the people's consultative group (PCG), formed by the ULFA to hold
initial parleys with the Government to pave the way for direct talks, where
the Centre assured to consider the demand for the release of the prisoners
sympathetically in consultation with the Asom Government, should be
implemented. Such issues should not be allowed to derail the peace process
and one hopes that the Government and the ULFA will adopt a policy of give
and take to carry forward the process.

The Government of India showed a positive gesture by suspending the Army
operations from August 13 for a period of ten days to create a congenial
atmosphere for talks. On its part, the ULFA announced on August 17 its
decisions to direct its cadres to maintain restraint, following which, the
Government decided to extend the period of suspension of operations for 15
more days and the police was asked to act only in self defence. The
suspension of operations is definitely a positive gesture from the
Government and the ULFA leaders should issue strict instructions to its
cadres to ensure that the peaceful atmosphere is not disturbed in any way
and the cadres of the ULFA should desist from indulging in any unlawful
activity including extortion as any such act may seriously affect the peace
process.
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