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Assam : National Games start amidst tight security measures

	February 12, 2007

ULFA ends its boycott call



The 33rd National Games took off to a colourful start in Guwahati on February 9 amidst the tightest ever security measures in the state capital. Congress president Sonia Gandhi who arrived in the city from Manipur where she had been campaigning for Assembly elections, declared open the Games at a glittering function attended by thousands of sports persons and VIPs who included Governor Ajai Singh, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and president of Indian Olympics Association Suresh Kalamadi.



“These Games send the message of peace, message of unity and message of goodwill. With these few words, I declare the 33rd National Games open,” said Sonia Gandhi, resplendent in Assamese attire.



The packed Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium at Sarusajai, on the outskirts of the Assam capital, erupted in a riot of colours as schoolchildren, artistes, athletes, players and officials trooped in for the grand opening ceremony.



Sonia’s presence as the chief guest of the opening ceremony was a departure from tradition. The Indian Olympic Association’s charter mentions that only the Prime Minister and the President are entitled to declare the National Games open.



Sonia, who earlier in the day interacted with women affected by violence, admitted to have been bowled over by the “impressive” opening ceremony and lauded the state government and everyone else who made it all possible. “These Games could be the stepping stone for bigger things and the players and organisers should make the most of it,” she said.



Although neither she nor the other speakers directly mentioned Ulfa, everyone spoke of the “difficulties” that the government had faced in organising the National Games.



Beginning exactly at 4 pm under azure skies, the ceremony lasted all of five hours. Asian Games medalist Bhogeswar Baruah lit the Olympic flame with the symbolic torch, which was relayed by former champion discus thrower Tayabun Nisa, badminton star Dipankar Bhattacharjee and former table tennis national champion Monalisa Barua-Mehta.



The Games mascot, Rongmon the rhino, was everywhere. As dusk set in and the floodlights came on, it was a magical sight. The highlights of the show were the march past by the 33 participating teams, dances by schoolchildren, performances by a medley of singers, dazzling fireworks and a laser display.



Earlier during the week, the militant outfit ULFA on Monday, Feb. 5, sprang a surprise when it announced its decision to end its boycott of the National Games. Although a bomb exploded on a rail track near Kamakhya station in the city around 9.20 am, it did not cause any damage. But the incident did put the security establishment in a tizzy. Security forces found 12 kg of RDX on another rail track in Tinsukia district, 491 km from Guwahati.





Sonia calls on women to advise the “misguided” youth



Earlier, interacting with women folk of the North East, Sonia Gandhi showered all her sympathies on those who suffered in the militant violence.



As Sonia Gandhi listened to the tales of horror at a rally organised on the sidelines of a grand ceremony to mark the start of the 33rd National Games, the dichotomy of the situation in Assam could not have been starker.



“We may be Hindi-speaking people, but we belong to this country. Where we will go from here ?” Sarita Gupta of Tinsukia asked the Congress president during the Judges Field rally.



She went on to narrate how militants gunned down her two sons on January 5. Moved by the outpouring of emotions, all that Sonia could initially say was that she was “pained by the incidents of violence”.



Widows of Hindi-speaking migrants and policemen who lost their lives fighting militants narrated their personal stories of grief. So did mothers whose children died or were wounded in explosions, including the mayhem during the Independence Day function at Dhemaji in 2004.



An overwhelmed Sonia said she could identify with the pain of all women affected by violence. She urged women across the Northeast to play a role in the campaign for peace. “Women occupy a special place in the Northeast and have been the driving force behind social change. They can play an important role in bringing peace and harmony to the region.”



The Congress chief, who is also the UPA chairperson, said it was a pity that some people were “misguiding” the youth of Assam.



Sonia launched a pilot project, Integrated Scheme for Women’s Empowerment for the Northeastern Region, during the rally. Initiated by the Central Social Welfare Board, the project aims to address the problems of women of the region against the backdrop of militancy.





Doors still open for talks : Sonia



Addressing the rally, Sonia Gandhi said that the Central government was keeping the door open for dialogue with insurgents to pave the way for restoration of peace in Assam and other North-eastern states. She said : “I feel extremely sorry for violence in Assam and other parts of the northeast. Peace is an absolute necessary for development. The door is open for those misguided youth who have taken up the gun to come forward for talks to find a solution to the problem.”