Ram-da, Tell us more about the Anup Chetia story. What happened after he was released.
Regards. Umesh --- Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > While trying to be really unbiased, I was trying to > figure out what, if any, > the GOI can do. > > If they release the prisoners, would they take off, > like Anup Chetia? This > could well happen, specially if the talks don't move > forward at any stage. > > The GOI wants the ULFA to forward the names (in > writing) about who is going > to participate in the talks. Obviously, the GOI does > not want to release > those who are not going participate, plus the GOI > would like the ULFA to > take full responsibility for those it releases. Why > can't the ULFA give that > assurance to the GOI? > > It is difficult to understand why the ULFA would > want to put this up as a > major hurdle? > > Highlights are mine. > > ____________________ > ULFA talks stalemate > Though a congenial atmosphere for direct talks > between the Government of > India and the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) > was created with the > suspension of hostilities by both the sides and > peaceful celebration of the > Independence Day, the recent developments on the > issue of release of the > five jailed central committee members have > threatened to pose serious > hurdles in the way of the much-awaited talks. If the > peace process fails > after making so much headway because of some minor > disagreement, it will be > one of the most unfortunate incidents for Asom as > the people of the State > suffered a lot due to insurgency in the past 27 > years and majority of the > state's population want a peaceful and amicable end > to the problem. *The > ULFA is demanding that its jailed central committee > members including the > vice chairman of the outfit Pradeep Gogoi should be > released to enable it to > take vital decisions regarding talks with the > Government of India, but the > Government is not willing to do so without receiving > a formal communication > from the outfit with the assurance of coming for > direct talks.* *The > Government is also demanding that the ULFA should > announce its team of > negotiators and a specific time frame saying as to > when the outfit would > come for talks should be announced.* On the other > hand, the ULFA is > insisting that the jailed central committee members > of the outfit should be > released before it takes future steps regarding > talks with the Government. > Such minor issues should not pose hurdles in the way > of talks and both the > Government and the ULFA should adopt a lenient > approach to pave the way for > direct talks to find an acceptable political > solution to the problem. > > *Of course, without any formal communication from > the ULFA, it may be > difficult for the Government to release the jailed > members of the militant > outfit as if the peace process fails, the Government > will have to answer the > people of the country.* In the past also the > Government of India faced > criticism on release of militant leaders and* once > the Government released > the general secretary of the ULFA, Anup Chetia to > enable him to hold > discussions with his colleagues to take decisions on > the issue of talks with > the Government. But Chetia did not return after his > release and that > incident must have played on the minds of the > Government officials when they > faced the demand for the release of the central > committee members of the > ULFA.* However, the Government can relax the other > pre-conditions including > the demand for naming of the members of the team of > negotiators. On its > part, there should *not be any problem on the part > of the ULFA to give a > written assurance to the Government to come for > talks if the outfit is > really serious in carrying forward* the peace > process as the process should > no be allowed to fail on such minor issues. The ULFA > is now insisting that > the decisions taken in the June 22 meeting between > the Government of India > and the people's consultative group (PCG), formed by > the ULFA to hold > initial parleys with the Government to pave the way > for direct talks, where > the Centre assured to consider the demand for the > release of the prisoners > sympathetically in consultation with the Asom > Government, should be > implemented. Such issues should not be allowed to > derail the peace process > and one hopes that the Government and the ULFA will > adopt a policy of give > and take to carry forward the process. > > The Government of India showed a positive gesture by > suspending the Army > operations from August 13 for a period of ten days > to create a congenial > atmosphere for talks. On its part, the ULFA > announced on August 17 its > decisions to direct its cadres to maintain > restraint, following which, the > Government decided to extend the period of > suspension of operations for 15 > more days and the police was asked to act only in > self defence. The > suspension of operations is definitely a positive > gesture from the > Government and the ULFA leaders should issue strict > instructions to its > cadres to ensure that the peaceful atmosphere is not > disturbed in any way > and the cadres of the ULFA should desist from > indulging in any unlawful > activity including extortion as any such act may > seriously affect the peace > process. > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > Umesh Sharma 5121 Lackawanna ST College Park, MD 20740 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone] Ed.M. - International Education Policy Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Class of 2005 weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ ___________________________________________________________ Win tickets to the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany with Yahoo! 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