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Assam rally for plebiscite http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/jan312006/national176242006130.asp |
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From Anirban Bhaumik DH News Service Guwahati: |
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The thin separating line between peace activism and supporting the outlawed rebels agenda appeared blurred in Assam on Monday. |
The thin separating line between peace activism and supporting the outlawed rebels agenda appeared blurred in Assam on Monday. A public meeting in the heart of Guwahati called for a plebiscite on the contentious issues like sovereignty of Assam and right of self-determination for its people.
The Peoples Committee for Peace Initiative in Assam (PCPIA) organised the public meeting to extend support to the peace-process between the Government of India and outlawed militant outfit, ULFA. The thickly attended peace-rally was attended by eminent author Indira Raisom Goswami and other members of the Peoples Consultative Group (PCG), which the outlawed ULFA constituted a few months back to facilitate the peace-process.
"The Assamese people have been deprived of the internationally recognised natural right of self-determination. The proposed talks between the Government of
India and ULFA should focus on finding a justice-oriented solution without compromising on the issues of dignity and restoration of sovereignty to the people of Assam," the peace rally resolved.
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It also stated that the peace process must include a plebiscite on the issue of sovereignty and right of self-determination, which would give the people of Assam an opportunity to express their opinions in a democratic manner.
The resolutions - and also the speeches of several speakers - almost echoed what ULFA has been stating ever since it came into existence in 1979 and started pursuing an armed struggle to liberate Assam from New Delhis "colonial rule."
"The Centre perhaps does not spend as much money for sending life-saving drugs to Assam, as they do for continuing the military offensives against ULFA in the State," said Dr Goswami, a teacher in Delhi University and a key member of the PCG. She criticised the Centre and State Government for carrying on counter-insurgency operations against ULFA, even after the militant outfit expressed its willingness to
start a peace-process. The PCG blamed the Centre for the "inordinate delay" in announcing the date of second meeting.
"Todays rally proved wrong the New Delhis propaganda that people of Assam are not with ULFA. Had the security forces been withdrawn from the State, three crore people would have rallied behind ULFA," eminent journalist Adip Phukan told the rally.
The rally adopted a resolution criticising the States Governor, Ajai Singh, for questioning talks with militants.
Insurgency
ULFA militant gunned down
Guwahati, DHNS: An ULFA militant was gunned down by the Army and police at Rong Chongi under the jurisdiction of Chabua Police Station in eastern Assam on Monday. Sources said that the security forces had been raiding some villages under the Chabua Police Station when the soldiers gunned down Rakesh Gohain, a militant of the ULFAs much-dreaded 28th battalion.
Rally powers Ulfa sovereignty cry A STAFF REPORTER
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060131/asp/northeast/story_5784508.asp
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Mamoni Raisom Goswami at the peace rally at Judges Field in Guwahati on Monday. Picture by Eastern Projections |
Guwahati, Jan. 30: The banned Ulfa today found a strong public voice to back its demand for the inclusion of the thorny subject of sovereignty in the agenda for the peace process.
A rally at the Judges Field in Guwahati organised by the Peoples Committee for Peace Initiative in Assam, a conglomerate of 21 organisations, ostensibly to protect the peace process from "sabotage" turned into a platform for the speakers to back the militant groups stand. Some went to the extent of saying that the states entire population was behind Ulfa.
Calling for immediate suspension of counter-insurgency operations, the organisers of the rally adopted a resolution espousing Ulfas demand for the inclusion of the topic of sovereignty in the talks process.
The resolution states that any discussion between Delhi and Ulfa should focus on finding a "justice-oriented solution without compromising the dignity of the people and the demand for restoration of sovereignty to them". It also makes a case for a plebiscite that would "reflect the democratic opinions of the Assamese people".
Except for "special invitee" Tapan Kumar Gogoi, general secretary of the All Assam Students Union, the speakers at the rally chose not to mention the Ulfas predilection for violence. Gogoi was the only one to publicly appeal to the militant group to shun violence.
The prime initiator of the peace process, writer Mamoni Raisom Goswami, argued for a halt to counter-insurgency operations by saying that the volume of life-saving medicines sent to the state was much less than the arms and ammunition heaped on it.
Several members of the Ulfa-constituted Peoples Consultative Group (PCG) addressed the gathering.
Blurring the line between peace activism and promotion of militant causes, one of the speakers insisted that the government declare Ulfa as a "revolutionary organisation". Another said the outfit had to take up arms to protect the rights of the people and that the "struggle of ethnic nationalities of the region is a direct outcome of a colonial administrative approach, exploitation and deprivation by the government of India".
The rally targeted Governor Ajai Singh for remarking that negotiations with Ulfa would be an exercise in futility. An unperturbed army, however, made it clear that its offensive against Ulfa would continue.
Troops of the 4 Jat Regiment continued their operation in Jeraigaon, the native village of Ulfa chief Paresh Barua, and a unit of the Gorkha Rifles gunned down a militant at Rongshongi village in Dibrugarh district.
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