good question. Who is arrogant -- army or ULFA or both?
Umesh
Nava Thakuria <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Unwelcome arrogance
Nava Thakuria
BRINGING the Ulfa to the negotiation table is a tough and challenging job
because of its supposed ideology or gallantry. What makes the task even tougher
is the outfits growing nexus with Muslim fundamentalists in Bangladesh and
Pakistan. The Assamese do have a grudge against the Centre for not fulfilling
their aspirations, but they will certainly not support an organisation having
such contacts. Ulfa leaders are hard put to convince the Assamese that they are
committed to free Assam from the colonial rule of India.
The Army has come out with a rather pompous campaign against the Ulfa. While
New Delhi believes that insurgency must be tackled politically, some senior
Army officers are trying to argue that the armed forces alone can crush
militancy.
At a press conference recently, the new GOC, 4 Corps, Lt-General BS Jaswal,
said, I appeal to the parents of the Ulfa men to give a clarion call to their
near and dear ones to give up arms or they will have to receive their mortal
remains.
What the Army officer is trying to suggest is that nobody except the Ulfa
members should be worried about the present turmoil in the region. There is no
need for peace talks, public opinion or any political will to deal with the
issues.
General Jaswals seemingly irresponsible comments simply negates all attempts
at peace talks by civil societies and the medias relentless endeavour to
support public anger against terrorism. It should not be forgotten that dealing
with insurgency is not as simple as explained by the confident Army officer.
At the end of the day, it demoralises the people from involving themselves in
the peace process. While Ulfa leaders do not take the people of Assam seriously
to explain their relationship with the external terrorist groups, the
authorities responsible for counter-insurgency operation in the region, on the
other hand, spare no opportunity to exhibit their arrogance. Stuck in between,
the common people never win.
(The author is a Guwahati-based freelance journalist.)
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Umesh Sharma
Washington D.C.
1-202-215-4328 [Cell]
Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005
http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info)
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info)
www.gse.harvard.edu/iep (where the above 2 are used )
http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/
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