.
An opportunity not to be missed
http://www.hindu.com/2005/10/10/stories/2005101000571000.htm
The Centre's readiness to meet a set of representatives named by the United Liberation front of Asom to facilitate a peace process is a positive development for Assam. Drawn from different walks of life and led by noted writer Indira Goswami, the facilitators ULFA calls them the People's Consultative Group are reportedly to meet officials for "preliminary talks" on October 25 and 26. But considering the curious circumstances in which ULFA suddenly announced the formation of the PCG, it is difficult to judge if these
meetings can provide the foundation for an enduring peace process. The PCG came into existence on September 7, a week after the Army began an operation in the dense Dibru-Saikhowa forests on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border. Whether or not ULFA intended this as a tactic to mobilise public support to get the Army off its back in the immediate context, that is exactly how it turned out: the PCG intervened on ULFA's behalf; the Army called off the operation. The Army's denials that the two were linked conflict with claims by PCG emissaries that they influenced the Centre to go easy on ULFA with the assurance that the group is now ready for talks. If the PCG's claim is indeed correct, the task of bringing ULFA to the table now rests squarely with these emissaries.
It is as yet unclear if ULFA's willingness to talk, as communicated by its handpicked facilitators to the Centre, means
that the group will no more insist that peace negotiations must focus on its demand of sovereignty. This was a stumbling block to previous efforts at starting a peace process between the two sides. But this was not the only problem. After all, the Centre is engaged in a peace process with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah), even though Naga sovereignty is one of the main demands of the group. The other obstacle was ULFA's reluctance to be drawn into a formal ceasefire agreement with the Centre. Only two weeks ago, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee reiterated that talks were ruled out "unless and until the ground rules are framed and both sides the Centre and the ULFA agree to a ceasefire." Presumably, the Centre's meetings with the PCG will sort out this issue. For governments everywhere, talking peace with a group that uses terrorism to achieve its goals is a
tricky exercise, and ULFA is among the most ruthless in the business. Some of its recent strikes in Assam have only reaffirmed this. But the Centre should not ignore even the smallest opportunity to break the spiral of violence and terror in Assam. The peace overtures by ULFA represent such an opportunity. Nonetheless, there is much to be cautious about. Peace talks, direct or through emissaries, should not be allowed to become an opportunity for ULFA, which has been greatly weakened in recent years both in terms of its fighting capabilities and the public support it commands to regroup and bide its time to hit out once again.
FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar MSN Toolbar Get it now!
_______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
