[Assam] Politicians keeping ULFA issue alive

[Chan Mahanta]

At 8:44 PM -0800 2/6/09, Dilip and Dil Deka wrote:
>I don't think the netters would have missed this article in the 
>Assam Tribune. Since no one posted it, I thought it is worthwhile 
>bringing it to people's attention. Many of us have always suspected 
>that the political parties in Assam have kept the ULFA issue alive 
>for their benefit. Now some insiders are talking about it.



**** So, what do you think of it?















>
>Politicians keeping ULFA issue alive
>Spl Correspondent
>  NEW DELHI, Feb 6 - Confirming what has been widely suspected, 
>pro-talk group of ULFA said the banned outfit has played an active 
>role in every election in the State since 1992. The breakaway 
>faction charged the political parties with keeping the ULFA problem 
>alive to serve their own interest.
>
>The open assertion by the pro-talk group ahead of the Parliament 
>election is likely to trigger a heated debate on links between the 
>political parties and ULFA. The banned outfit has had a hand in 
>formation of every government since 1991, asserted Mrinal Hazarika 
>replying to questions during an interaction with students studying 
>in Delhi.
>
>Without getting into details, Hazarika, who was accompanied by 
>Prabal Neog, said that ULFA had links with one party or the other at 
>some point of time. "We cannot deny involvement of any political 
>party or minister with ULFA", he said..
>
>Hazarika, however, declined to single out anyone by name, asserting 
>that no politician in the State can manage polls without help from 
>ULFA.
>
>Prafulla Kumar Mahanta-led AGP Government was dismissed in 1990 by 
>Central Government for its alleged links with ULFA. Tarun Gogoi 
>Government has also faced allegations from time to time about 
>involvement of some of its ministers with ULFA, though he has 
>consistently denied it.
>
>Significantly enough, these former ULFA men hold the political 
>parties responsible for the delay in resolution of the vexed 
>militancy problem. The State's political parties are keen on keeping 
>the ULFA problem alive. They do not want this problem to be solved, 
>asserted Hazarika last evening, interacting with a group of 
>journalists.
>
>The Government of Assam has also not shown interest to solve the 
>problem, he added.
>
>When asked whether they planned to play in a role in the ensuing 
>elections, Hazarika said they have started interacting with few 
>leaders and are pressing them to highlight the issues they have been 
>raising. "We also propose to appeal to them to unite all the ethnic 
>tribal groups of the State", he said.
>
>The three-member delegation of former ULFA men including Jiten Dutta 
>has been touring the capital to drum up support for their cause. The 
>leaders said they want to evolve a consensus on the burning problems 
>of the State and build up a movement to establish that ULFA has 
>become extraneous and the demand for sovereignty has become 
>irrelevant.
>
>"Unfortunately, ULFA has for the past 29 years of struggle, shoddily 
>deviated from its ideological goals. So, we have decided to put a 
>momentary break on our armed struggle and to pave out a way through 
>democratic struggle for the protection of our existence", the 
>leaders said.
>
>The group has worked out a 12-point charter of demands, which would 
>be formally submitted on February 20 to the Prime Minister through 
>the office of the Chief Minister.
>
>The demands include total autonomy, as against sovereignty, creation 
>of upper House of the Assembly, the issue of illegal migrants, flood 
>and erosion problem, construction of the Stilwell Road, halt to 
>construction of mega dams in upper reaches of Brahmaputra river 
>mainly in Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan, besides total control over 
>the State's resources.
>
>Clarifying their demand for total autonomy, Hazarika said they 
>advocate a federal structure, where Centre would hold on to only 
>four responsibilities including defence, currency, external affairs 
>and commerce.
>
>Interestingly enough, the pro-talk group does not see much hope of 
>massive crackdown on ULFA and other militant outfits based in 
>Bangladesh after Awami League came to power. In Bangladesh, the Army 
>and the DGFI are all-powerful and the State cannot do much without 
>their consent.
>
>There may be some minor actions but those will be more of an 
>eyewash, they opined.
>
>The leaders, however, refused to accept Government of India's 
>contention that over 97 ULFA camps existed in Bangladesh. It is not 
>possible to have such a large number of camps, though there are few 
>camps and shelters in urban areas, Hazarika said.
>
>Confirming ULFA's relationship with ISI and DGFI, the leaders said 
>commander-in-chief Paresh Barua has not visited the State since 
>1992, though chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa was in Assam for a long time 
>after that.
>_______________________________________________
>assam mailing list
>assam at assamnet.org
>http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org