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Assam : No talks on sovereignty issue, says Gogoi |
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The Assam government has again rejected a fresh demand of the ULFA for a written commitment from the Centre to discuss the ‘issue of sovereignty’ of Assam for holding a dialogue with the insurgent group and vowed to continue its fight against militancy with a ‘three-pronged strategy’ in the New Year.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi made it clear on Jan. 1 that there couldn’t be any talks on the ‘issue of sovereignty of Assam’ and there would be no compromise on it. He, however, said the government was ready to release five senior ULFA leaders from the Guwahati jail provided the outfit sent out sincere signals to sit for dialogue with the Central government.
Perturbed over continued insurgency and sprouting of new insurgent groups in the last year, Assam government has vowed to adopt a three-pronged strategy in the new year to tackle the problem more effectively.
Gogoi informed that the government will continue with its policy of trying to bring the militant groups, especially the banned ULFA, to the negotiation table to find a political solu¬tion to their demands.
Thirdly, the state government will focus on development of the under developed areas in the state to wipe out the recruit¬ment ground for militant groups. The Chief Minister said poor and unemployed youth from backward and remote parts of the state stood vulnerable for recruitment by insurgent groups. The govern¬ment would announce special development schemes for these hugely backward areas of the state.
He said 2007 had been a bad year for Assam in the sense that three new insurgent groups — All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA), Black Widow (DHD-J) and Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF) — became very active in the state.
The Chief Minister said Assam had been bearing the brunt of the designs of insurgent groups including the Naga rebel group, NSCN-IM and Maoists to foment insurgency in the state. He pointed out that the NSCN-IM had played a major role in promoting DHD and AANLA militants.
The ULFA on Dec. 31 asked the Government of India to give a written assurance of discussing the ‘sovereignty’ issue in its proposed peace talks. The group’s fugitive ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua, in an e-mail to the media, accused the government of trying to divert the people’s attention from the core demands of the outfit.
Referring to the government’s recent indications on releas¬ing the top five jailed ULFA leaders by first week of January, the rebel leader alleged that it was another ploy of the govern¬ment to hint at resumption of peace talks ahead of any election, the Panchayat polls in this instance.
Four ULFA men killed in Assam
At least four ULFA militants were killed and another was injured in two separate encounters in Assam on Dec. 31. According to defence sources, three ULFA extremists were killed and another was injured in an encounter with army troops at the Dibru-Saikho¬wa reserve forest in Tinsukia district in the early hours on Monday, Dec. 31. The slain militants were fresh recruits and had returned recently from Myanmar for some major strike in the state during the ongoing panchayat polls.
In another encounter, hardcore ULFA activist Chandan Baishya was killed in Guwahati’s Bethapara area. Senior Superintendent of Police V K Ramisetti told reporters that Baishya was a close associate of ULFA’s 701 battalion commander Hira Sarania. A 9-mm pistol was recovered from the dead militant.
Referring to the government’s recent indications on releas¬ing the top five jailed ULFA leaders by first week of January, the rebel leader alleged that it was another ploy of the govern¬ment to hint at resumption of peace talks ahead of any election, the Panchayat polls in this instance.
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