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North East : Assam : PCG pulls out of talks with Centre

	October 02, 2006

The ULFA-constituted People’s Consultative Group on Sept. 27 pulled out of negotiations with New Delhi in protest against its “double standards”, hammering the last nail into the peace coffin after a series of adverse developments since last weekend.

“Considering the flip-flop attitude of the Centre to the extent of going back on its commitment, we in the PCG are of the view that no fruitful results can be expected from the parleys,” PCG spokesman Arup Borbora said.

The announcement capped a series of blows to the peace process, starting with the murder of a tea garden manager by ULFA militants in Tinsukia district last weekend and the consequent resumption of army operations against the militant group.

Formed on September 8 last year to set the stage for talks between the ULFA and New Delhi, the PCG tried to temper the sense of pessimism by saying that it would “continue to work with the people to create a conducive atmosphere for peace”.

But peace was a far cry when the group launched into a diatribe against New Delhi, accusing it of jeopardising the process of negotiations with “new and ridiculous” conditions like its insistence on a formal communiqué from the ULFA expressing its willingness to participate in a dialogue.

The PCG said New Delhi had undermined the decision arrived at during the third round of talks on June 22.

The decision not to mediate between the ULFA and New Delhi any longer was taken during a marathon meeting last night. Ironically, the discussions were supposed to find ways to revive the peace process.

Borbora said New Delhi would have to accept responsibility for snags in the peace process. “In none of the discussions with us did the Centre ever mention the need for the letter (from the ULFA). In the joint statement issued after the third round of discussions, the Centre even promised to consider favourably the release of five ULFA detainees.”

The PCG functionary said Delhi should not be insisting on a letter of consent because the ULFA leadership expressed its willingness to come to the negotiating table through letters to the Prime Minister in February and May last year. The Prime Minister’s Office acknowledged receiving the letters, he added.

On whether the PCG would keep itself away from all official peace initiatives, Borbora said pulling out of negotiations did not mean that the group had been disbanded. He could not elaborate how the PCG intended to achieve its objective without maintaining a channel of communication with New Delhi.

“It will not be immediately possible for us to spell out what will be our role, but we will continue to work for peace,” another PCG member Lachit Bordoloi said.

SULFA not to aid Army offensive : As security forces gear up for a heightened offensive against ULFA, surrendered members of the outfit have voiced their reluctance to aid the Army in counter-insurgency operations.

The Sivasagar District Coordination Committee of former ULFA members, in a statement on Sept. 27, urged the government to ensure that they are not forced into participating in operations.The committee threatened to launch an agitation if its members were compelled to accompany the forces during operations.

Rajkumar Duarah, president of the committee, and general secretary Kailashjit Dutta said many had suffered for “co-operating” in counter-insurgency operations.

“Several SULFA (surrendered ULFA) members had been killed, many injured and several of us are now under the threat of being eliminated if we go for operations against the ULFA.”

The police, however, denied that they force SULFA members to accompany them during operations.



Suspected ULFA rebels lobbed a grenade at a camp of the 11 Sikh Light Infantry at Kundil, in Tinsukia district on Sept. 27. The grenade missed its target and exploded in an open space. Nobody was injured.



The Army decised on Septe. 26 to spread to new areas in a bid to encircle ULFA militants, particularly in areas bordering Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. Army sources said its prime target now would be the dreaded 28 battalion of the outfit, which is active in Upper Assam.

The Army in the two Upper Assam districts of Tinsukia and Dibrugarh has been instructed to go hard against the 28 battalion of the outfit. Seven army units under the Dinjan-based 2 Mountain Division are at present conducting counter-insurgency operations against the outfit in the two districts.

In Dibrugarh, the 11 Guards Regiment had been engaged in the operations, while 2 Bihar Regiment, 6 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, 7/11 Gorkha Rifles, 11 Sikh Light Infantry, 42 Field Regiment, 19 Kumaon Regiment have been deployed in Tinsukia.

The 28 battalion, which has its battalion headquarters in the jungles of Myanmar, has a strength of roughly 1,000 cadres and is led by self-styled commanding officer Prabal Neog.

Three ULFA militants and four of their linkmen were arrested on Sept. 26 from Rangshi village in Goalpara district during a joint operation by the Assam police and the Army.

Preliminary interrogation revealed that the trio, identified as Mridul Rava, Ajit Rava and Sunil Rava, was on their way to Bangladesh for training. They are now lodged in the Goalpara police station.

Two militants have already been killed in the ongoing operation, while two others were arrested with arms and ammunition.

AGP(P) moots all-party meet : Taking the cue from the AGP (Pragatisheel)’s attack on Dispur for the breakdown of the peace process, the Assam Gana Parishad on Sept. 29 hinted at an issue-based patch-up with the breakaway group to put the ruling Congress on the mat.

A senior AGP leader said the party was open to the idea of joining hands with the AGP (P), led by former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, “in public interest” and mount a mass movement in the State against the resumption of army operations against ULFA.

One of the AGP (P)’s senior leaders, Gunin Hazarika, had blamed both the Centre and the State Government for the breakdown of the peace process.

He said the Centre had frittered away a golden opportunity to solve the problem through its “callous” attitude. The role of the State Government in the peace process had also not been satisfactory, he said. “The problem was compounded by contradicting statements made by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi from time to time,” Hazarika said.

Reiterating the statement, the AGP (P) on Sept. 29 mooted an all-party meeting to discuss ways to end the impasse.

AGP (P) general secretary Pranab Goswami said his party wanted to give a chance to the Congress to develop a political consensus on the vexed ULFA problem. “This is a political problem and there should be a political consensus in the State on the problem. We want the Government to convene an all-party meeting for that purpose.”

On whether the AGP (P) would join hands with its parent party on the issue, he said the idea was to build public opinion against the government for handling the peace process in a slipshod manner. “If need be, we will take on board other like-minded parties so that we can build pressure in a concerted manner.”

The BJP, too, demanded an-all party meeting to discuss the breakdown of the peace process.

The party has already lined up agitation programmes to “press the Centre to review the decision to relaunch Army operations”.

A senior AGP leader said his party would not hesitate to put up an “issue-based” union with all Opposition parties, irrespective of affiliation, to mount pressure on the government to reverse its decision.

The AGP is planning sit-in demonstrations in the State and in New Delhi on October 5 and 9 to press for a rollback of the decision to resume army operations against ULFA.