[Assam] Should the so-called NER people become ‘Nilakanthas’ like their mythical deity Hara and drown in the ‘venomous sea’ into oblivion?

[Bartta Bistar]

*Demilitarize NE, NESO tells Centre*

* *

http://www.sentinelassam.com/
22 June 2006

NEW DELHI, June 21: A day ahead of two separate crucial meetings on
insurgency problem of Asom and Nagaland, an influential student organization
of the North-East today asked the Centre to demilitarize the entire region
and bring 'acceptable and honourable' solution to the problems of the region
by holding talks with all armed groups.
"The Government of India must show boldness in bringing the armed groups to
the negotiating table," North East Students' Organization (NESO) president
Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharya and general secretary NSN Lotha told reporters
here.
"A time-frame mechanism with a focus for an acceptable, honourable and
beneficial solution must be worked out," they said, adding "as a prelude the
NE region be demilitarized with a time-bound schedule and the armed group
should be confined to the five-kilometre border area and not be allowed to
enter into the civilian areas." Bhattacharya and Lotha said the Centre must
demonstrate its sincerity and commitment to all the ongoing political
dialogues with different armed groups of the North-east. A crucial meeting
between the ULFA-backed People's Consultative Group and the Centre would be
held here tomorrow. Besides others, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil will
attend the meeting.
Another meeting between the NSCN(IM) and Government negotiators, led by
Union Minister Oscar Fernandes, would be held at the Netherlands city the
Hague tomorrow.
The NESO leaders also demanded urgent steps to solve the vexed illegal
immigration problem of the region and special economic package for the
North-east.
The NESO also urged the Centre to implement the 1985 Assam Accord within a
stipulated time-frame else they would be forced to adopt a 'new way' to meet
the aspirations of the people of the region.
Samujjal Bhattacharya said the student body was demanding a special
constitutional status for the entire north-eastern region (NER) to have
control over the land and other resources.
"Apart from India, there is no other democracy in the world, where there is
no comprehensive immigration laws," he said, adding that empowering NER with
a special constitutional status would enable them to frame their own
immigration laws to check the influx of illegal infiltrators who have
already posed 'serious threat' to the original inhabitants of the region.
(Agencies)
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