[Assam] Gogoi critical of intellectuals.

[Ram Sarangapani]

KJD,

I read that news item with interest.

The best was the statement by the CM (highlights mine) " “*Do these
intellectuals calling for inclusion of sovereignty in the agenda favour
sovereignty* themselves?...I am a servant of the Constitution of India, and
talks can proceed within its ambits – something made clear by the Prime
Minister to the PCG earlier,”

There are many examples - one of the Assam MPs  went to Delhi sometime ago
to meet with the Home Minister Chidambaram (basically asking for sovereignty
to be included in discussions). The Home Minister asked the MP if he
seriously, as a sitting MP for the Indian Parliament advocated this?  That
is the standard of our MPs.

The question still stands, how can these intellectuals even want to include
sovereignty - for whatever reason. In all seriousness, they can't be running
with the hare and hunting with the hounds?

There is this other argument, that the Govt. should include the sovereignty
issue just for discussion purposes. If the GOI ever entertains this thought,
it will be a huge blunder on it part.

Just the fact that the Govt. may include sovereignty in any discussion would
telegraph its weakness, and vacillation. Why on earth should the GOI ever
include something it cannot constitutionally promise or fulfill? Further
more, Assam is not the property of the GOI for it to give away in the first
place.

>IF ULFA HAS PUT A DIFFERENT MEANING TO " SOVEREIGNTY",ARE THEY UNDER ANY
COMPULSION THAT FORBIDS THEM TO >SPELL IT OUT PRIOR TO SITTING DOWN IN THE
NEGOTIATING TABLE?

Don't hold your breath, KJD. These guys have become far too sophisticated.
They don't want any part of that sitting-down-to-a-meeting business and
settling for a peaceful outcome. They well know that putting up enough
hurdles and confusion is the best for them.

--Ram








On Mon, May 3, 2010 at 3:00 PM, kamal deka <kjit.deka at gmail.com> wrote:

> The following is a news piece from AT for your consumption.Those,who
> have been pushing both the parties to the palaver table,urging the GOI
> to sport a conciliatory halo in the matter of sovereignty vis- a- vis
> Assam's independence, must realize that their pious and good
> intentions will come to naught,because the proposal is bound to go
> over like a lead balloon as soon as it reaches the Center's table.Of
> what measure is a dialogue,when the core demand itself is a known
> non-starter? IF ULFA HAS PUT A DIFFERENT MEANING TO " SOVEREIGNTY",ARE
> THEY UNDER ANY COMPULSION THAT FORBIDS THEM TO SPELL IT OUT PRIOR TO
> SITTING DOWN IN THE NEGOTIATING TABLE?
> KJD
>
> ULFA not sincere about talks: Gogoi
> Staff Reporter
>  GUWAHATI, May 3 – Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today slammed the ULFA
> for being ‘insincere’ about the proposed talks by adamantly insisting
> on sovereignty as the issue, saying that no dialogue was possible
> under the circumstances as sovereignty was ‘non-negotiable.’
> Gogoi who was addressing a press conference made it clear in the same
> breath that the Government would not wait ‘indefinitely’ for ULFA
> ‘c-in-c’ Paresh Baruah to come for talks. “While we would prefer to
> have him (Baruah), talks can be held without him as we cannot wait
> indefinitely,” he said.
>
> Gogoi was also critical of the intellectuals who had been urging the
> Government to be flexible on the sovereignty issue. “Do these
> intellectuals calling for inclusion of sovereignty in the agenda
> favour sovereignty themselves?...I am a servant of the Constitution of
> India, and talks can proceed within its ambits – something made clear
> by the Prime Minister to the PCG earlier,” he said.
>
> Expressing concern over the activities of the Manipur-based ultra
> outfit UNLF and Maoists in the State of late, Gogoi said that the case
> of the two recently-arrested UNLF leaders would be handed over to the
> NIA.
>
> Gogoi said that the ULFA was not a revolutionary group as its leaders
> maintained a lavish lifestyle in foreign countries at the expense of
> their cadres. “The leaders have been exploiting the cadres who toil in
> jungles in harsh conditions,” he said.
>
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>