ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia has urged the government and ULFA-I chief Paresh Baruah to find a middle path over the latter’s demand for ‘independent Assam’.
The banned United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent (ULFA-I) extended its unilateral ceasefire for three months on November 14.
Chetia told News18 that a middle path could be achieved in order to protect the “self-esteem of Assamese people”. “There would be a middle path, which is still not discovered. I think when the government would be ready to protect the identity of Assamese people there would be a middle path. I think Baruah will be ready for the process if the government gives assurances.”
Meanwhile, former PCG (People’s Consultative Group) member Hiranya Saikia told News18, “If you want to win any game, you should have the aim, concentration, patience and courage. There is a constitutional obligation for the Government of India to participate in talks with any group or negotiate with any group on ‘sovereignty’ issue. But there would be a middle path where negotiation can start with any group without mentioning the word ‘sovereignty’. Paresh Baruah is adamant on his demand for ‘Sovereign Independent Assam’; without this issue, he is not ready to participate on the negotiating table.”
He further said the Centre’s policies towards Assam and Northeast till 2016 were “colonial” but since Narendra Modi took over as the Prime Minister, the central government policies have changed. “Now, Modi-led government takes various developmental policies for Assam and the northeast, which were not taken since India got independence. In Assam, after Himanta Biswa Sarma took over the chair of chief minister, he is trying to resolve every issue of the state… Paresh Baruah responded towards the chief minister’s appeal and announced unilateral ceasefire for the first time in the history of ULFA-I.”
Discussing about the middle path to start the negotiation process, Saikia said if the government is ready to protect the right of indigenous people of Assam there would be a ray of hope. “On the negotiation table, the right to constitutional safeguard of Assamese people, socio-political protection of Assamese people should be discussed. Discussion should be on the rights of natural resources, on economic rights of the people of Assam. If the government is ready to give promises to Baruah regarding the said issues, I think Baruah will consider…”
The negotiation process with Baruah is continuing in an informal manner through chief minister Sarma, who has been allowed by home minister Amit Shah to directly talk to the ULFA-I chief. The chief minister said his government had maintained communication with Baruah ever since he took charge of the administration.
“As of now, I only took permission to speak to him (Paresh Baruah) over phone or through other media so that we can give a push to the peace process. But those are very preliminary things. No conclusion is drawn and it will be a long affair,” Sarma said.
CM Sarma met PM Modi, home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in New Delhi last week over the negotiation process.
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