[Assam] Talk Tamasha: What Next?

Tue Oct 31 00:58:02 PST 2006

Please read this article at this URL:
http://www.assam.org/article.php?sid=480
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Talk Tamasha: What Next?

By : Prasanta Baruah/ Dibyajyoti Chayengia

Are we hurtling towards a major cataclysm? The question beigns to baffle at
the height of a series of tamasha in the name of peace talks between ULFA
and the Centre, only to blight the hope of a peaceful Asom with frustration.
The power-that-be in New Delhi is pitted against ULFA boys in this game as
the talk for peace slogan rents the sky. Both sides are now going topsy
turvy to muzzle the truth...lack of sincerity.

The ULFA came in to the fry with the Peoples' Consultative Group (PCG)
saying the group was entrusted with the responsibility of preparing the
groundworks for the show. The Government which has been traditionally making
clarion call to the insurgent outfits too came for talks in three rounds
with the group. That too was kickstarted by Prime Minister Dr Singh.

The Centre evinced keen interest to talk to the ULFA leaders directly and
indicated that it would release five top ULFA heavyweights to clear the
decks for the show, who have been languishing in judicial custody.

The entire drama reached its climax on August 13,2006 when the Centre
decided to suspend the Army operation against the ULFA to clear the road to
happiness. The ULFA took nearly 48 hours to do the same. However, it was
purely a political decision and not a security-related one.

Inaugurated by the Prime Minister and his office, later the show was shifted
to the home ministry where lots of objections came up one after another but
with a method. The bureacrates sought a confimation from the ULFA in a
letter containing the date of direct talk and the would be participants
before releasing the five top guns from jails. The ULFA said it's
heavyweights in the jails were required to take a decision. The home
ministry has been leery of releasing them fearing the '92 blunder in the
Hiteswar Saikia regime. The ULFA said the letter of interest was addressed
to the Prime Minister through Dr Indira Goswami last year and they had no
fresh letter. The home ministry did not proceed further and the ULFA too
remained unchanged. Thus the entire process halted haflway only because of a
letter.

The ultimate blow to spoil the show came as soon as ULFA killed a tea garden
manager in Dibrugarh for failing to meet the extortion demand. Even, in an
e-mail in a section of media, the ULFA served extortion notice to the non
Assamese people living in the state. Thus the peace process, in the pink was
reduced to a farce for the ULFA-Government competition of insincerity.

Marked by a series of blamegame, the one and a half month long talk tamasha
finally came to a grinding halt. But it is heartening to note that the
traditional mud slinging fail to capture considerable space in media.

Whatever remains to be understood is the sincerity of the Centre's
traditional clarion calls to the youths with arms to come for talks and to
go for solutions. May we ask the government if a confirmation was necessary
from ULFA why the home ministry officials forgot to demand the same in the
three rounds of talks in Delhi with the PCG?. If these very issues were left
untouched , did the home ministry officials and PCG members talk of weather
in the name of three rounds of meetings? Why the Centre said these ULFA
leaders would be released to ensure an early talk. Is it more a tamasha and
less a show of sincerity. They talked favourably but found words butter no
parsnips.

And ULFA! if Bhimkanta Buragohain, Pradeep Gogoi et al were needed to take a
decision on talk then can they answer us: how they remained ready to drop
the demand of sovereignty in the direct talk? How they decided came up with
the Peoples' Consultative Group (PCG)? Also how and who decided to carry out
bombings which left thousands of innocent people dead along with some
securityman in the name of struggle for an independent Asom? Actually, who
planted bombs at the flag hoisting site of Dhemaji which killed as many as
fifteen people most of whom are children? The presence of these top cadres
was not required while these were decided?

One more thing strikes in our minds which can be interpreted by ULFA
themselves and a few PCG members: when ceasefire was there, killings and
extortion went pari passu. Why ULFA killed the tea garden manager in
Dibrugarh during the period of ceasefire, why ULFA served taxing notice in a
section of media and that too while the ceasefire was there? We are not
unaware of the fact that the ceasefire was suspended as soon as these
incidents were reported. Then is it right to blame the Centre only for
resumption of Army crackdown against the ULFA?

But the role of PCG members? Less said is better. They blame it all on
Dispur and Delhi for the end of the show only to shy away from the question
of their efficiency. They remain silent on continued extortion, killing and
taxing during the ceasefire period. They could have made ULFA bound to
abstain from these activities in question, they could have cleared a fresh
letter from ULFA if it was helpful for ensuring talk for the greater
interest of Asom. Even a member tried to sandbag the insurgent outfit saying
these would not have been happened if the government released the ULFA top
cadres to ensure talks. Now they are vocal against the Governments both in
Delhi and Dispur because it is very easy to criticise the power-that-be
(even for bad weather).

Strange are their ways. While ULFA cannot escape the responsiblity for the
logjam, the PCG people have resorted to traditional and shameful games
including road blockade, hunger strike, Asom bandh et al which have been
responsible for the state's sagging economic scenario.

Measured by any standard, it stands clear that the logjam is attributable to
lack of sincerity both of ULFA and the Centre and PCG's failure to handle
the task efficiently.

Of late, both the parties are in a mode to resume the show albeit it runs
through hamshackle ramshackle as a circle is working in the process who
leave no stone unturned to stoke the dying embers of insurgency to keep the
fire alive purely for their personal aggrandisement. But we do not need any
repeat of the show.

The Centre's unwillingness is a known fact most particularly, in the North
East--Centre's Achillies' heels. But of late, it has some reasons to glean a
few score of points to cover up its inchoate sense of love for the seven
sister. Firstly, it announced a ceasefire as a step in right direction as a
confidence building measure. Secondly, it announced its readiness to talk
with the ULFA even outside the country in the line of NSCN-IM. The erstwhile
NDA government strongly sought any talk with ULFA within the country and
made it clear that sovereignty would not come up for negotiation.

Thirdly and notably, the UPA Government goes somehow soft saying it will
discuss all issues to be raised by the ULFA but adding that the word
sovereignty will not be there due to some technical problems.

As a result, the controversy on a decade old controversy on sovereignty has
died down. These have further helped both sides come come close to each
other.

There is no denying the fact that the process received a new dimension while
it was at the political level but it freezed as soon as it shifted to the
home ministry which is confined only to the age old carrot and stick policy
citing law and order problem while the North East has to demand even
something legitimate.

We think an all party meeting will be a step in right direction in this
crucial juncture to sort out the problems confronting the episode. The
strong forum consisting of politicians, and intellectuals should come out to
a)exhert pressure on ULFA and Centre for ensuring a fruitful negotiation as
both Centre and ULFA categorically express their willingness for talks. Let
these prominent people draw the strategies of talk to be raised in the peace
negotiation.

Lots of bloods have been shed at the height of insurgency and these failed
to champion for the cause of our dumb millions. At a time when the state is
embroiled in insurgency, the Assamese grind the stone while another section
takes the bird. Stop these at an earlier date as every chapter of murder and
mayhem has a silver lining. But will the prisoners of conscience awake? Over
to Centre and ULFA.
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Please read this article at this URL:
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