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From Militants to Harbingers of Peace Will the released ULFA leaders finally come to terms with New Delhi?
Everything was looking bright. ULFA leaders including its Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, Political Advisor Bhimkanta Buragohain, Foreign Secretary Sasadhar Choudhury, Finance Secretary Chitrabon Hazarika, Deputy Commander – in - Chief Raju Baruah made public appearances in order to carry the message of a peaceful Assam. Rajkhowa even sought public pardon for all the wrong deeds of the outfit and assured the people of a bright and sunny Assam.
The stage for the talks too had been decorated accordingly. At the moment, the ULFA leaders are huddled in a meeting at an undisclosed location in Nalbari district to chalk out the future course of action before resumption of any talk process with the Centre. The outcome of the ‘secret congregation’ which is being held as the Executive Council of the outfit will be known very soon. But one must say that the leaders of the outfit who are out of jail now, particularly the Chairman will have to take some very strong steps in order to carry on the united spirit of the outfit which he had been able to maintain so far. However, observers are of the opinion that the public display of armed cadre by the outfit’s supreme commander Paresh Baruah has made the situation more critical for Rajkhowa.
The public display of photographs and subsequent release of video footage through the media by Paresh Baruah and his aides is a well calculated step with multiple intensions. By releasing the photographs and video footage, Paresh Baruah is trying to issue a stern warning to all those who are of the opinion that the outfit has lost much of its military might due to successive operations by security forces. Next, Baruah is also trying to influence the deliberations at the executive council. And finally, with the gap between him and the others engaged in the peace process getting wider every day, he wants to create a team for himself with the inclusion of some of his trusted lieutenants like Antu Chowdung, Sujit Mohan, Mikel Deka Phukon, Jibon Moran, etc. The photographs and the video footage can act as a catalyst for the ULFA, which, according to sources in the various intelligence agencies is desperately trying to recruit fresh cadre. And in a state which has more than 20 lakh unemployed youths, a single photograph or a few seconds of video footage is enough to create an impression in the minds of many that ‘ULFA has not lost everything yet and it can still be a force to be reckoned with’.
The Delhi Approach
New Delhi’s approach towards finding a permanent solution to the ULFA issue has almost been the same as it was earlier. There might have been some changes in the ‘toughness of words’, but the approach has been similar to what it was ten or twenty years ago. The question before New Delhi is whether it should consider the ULFA issue as a political problem or as a normal law and order problem. It might be pertinent to add here that several senior army officers who have the experience of dealing with the ULFA problem in Assam during successive military operations launched against the outfit have expressed that the permanent solution to the ULFA problem can only be found through political dialogues and not through the barrel of a gun. New Delhi’s appointment of former Intelligence Bureau man P.C. Haldar as the interlocutor to do the spade work and to clear the decks for holding direct parleys between the ULFA and the Centre can be seen as a single positive step initiated by the Centre to find some permanent solution to the ULFA tangle. With tons of experience on the North East, Haldar is expected to play a pivotal role in cracking the proverbial hard nut which has remained the epicentre of any talk about Assam or the North East Region.
The Possible Solution
It is very tough to come up with an all encompassing formula to settle the ULFA issue as the approach has to be multiple headed. The Government of India will have to admit that there has been injustice towards the people of Assam and will have to take up corrective measures. These measures can be in the form of acceleration of development projects, setting up new industries in the region, building of high quality infrastructure in terms of roads, bridges, railway network etc. The government’s efforts need to be such that people in Assam realise that the Government of India really cares for them. Unfortunately, this has not been the case over the years due to which there has not been an end to the sense of alienation for the people of Assam and also those from other states of the North East Region. Altogether, there will have to be a major shift in the mindset of the people who are at the helm of affairs in New Delhi and the State Government of Assam will also have to wake up to ensure that it gets its dues and that too, in time, otherwise, it will continue to be labeled as a ‘puppet government’ which only dances to the tunes of New Delhi. On the other hand, the ULFA leadership will also have to plan its strategy for the future so that the people of Assam do not have to face betrayal any further. Also, the leadership will have to seriously accept the fact that any division in opinion in the ULFA ranks will only give an undue advantage to New Delhi and the ULFA will be on the backfoot. A solution to the issue is the urgent need of the hour, failing which Assam will continue to face oppression from external forces.
The stage for the talks too had been decorated accordingly. At the moment, the ULFA leaders are huddled in a meeting at an undisclosed location in Nalbari district to chalk out the future course of action before resumption of any talk process with the Centre. The outcome of the ‘secret congregation’ which is being held as the Executive Council of the outfit will be known very soon. But one must say that the leaders of the outfit who are out of jail now, particularly the Chairman will have to take some very strong steps in order to carry on the united spirit of the outfit which he had been able to maintain so far. However, observers are of the opinion that the public display of armed cadre by the outfit’s supreme commander Paresh Baruah has made the situation more critical for Rajkhowa.
The public display of photographs and subsequent release of video footage through the media by Paresh Baruah and his aides is a well calculated step with multiple intensions. By releasing the photographs and video footage, Paresh Baruah is trying to issue a stern warning to all those who are of the opinion that the outfit has lost much of its military might due to successive operations by security forces. Next, Baruah is also trying to influence the deliberations at the executive council. And finally, with the gap between him and the others engaged in the peace process getting wider every day, he wants to create a team for himself with the inclusion of some of his trusted lieutenants like Antu Chowdung, Sujit Mohan, Mikel Deka Phukon, Jibon Moran, etc. The photographs and the video footage can act as a catalyst for the ULFA, which, according to sources in the various intelligence agencies is desperately trying to recruit fresh cadre. And in a state which has more than 20 lakh unemployed youths, a single photograph or a few seconds of video footage is enough to create an impression in the minds of many that ‘ULFA has not lost everything yet and it can still be a force to be reckoned with’.
The Delhi Approach
New Delhi’s approach towards finding a permanent solution to the ULFA issue has almost been the same as it was earlier. There might have been some changes in the ‘toughness of words’, but the approach has been similar to what it was ten or twenty years ago. The question before New Delhi is whether it should consider the ULFA issue as a political problem or as a normal law and order problem. It might be pertinent to add here that several senior army officers who have the experience of dealing with the ULFA problem in Assam during successive military operations launched against the outfit have expressed that the permanent solution to the ULFA problem can only be found through political dialogues and not through the barrel of a gun. New Delhi’s appointment of former Intelligence Bureau man P.C. Haldar as the interlocutor to do the spade work and to clear the decks for holding direct parleys between the ULFA and the Centre can be seen as a single positive step initiated by the Centre to find some permanent solution to the ULFA tangle. With tons of experience on the North East, Haldar is expected to play a pivotal role in cracking the proverbial hard nut which has remained the epicentre of any talk about Assam or the North East Region.
The Possible Solution
It is very tough to come up with an all encompassing formula to settle the ULFA issue as the approach has to be multiple headed. The Government of India will have to admit that there has been injustice towards the people of Assam and will have to take up corrective measures. These measures can be in the form of acceleration of development projects, setting up new industries in the region, building of high quality infrastructure in terms of roads, bridges, railway network etc. The government’s efforts need to be such that people in Assam realise that the Government of India really cares for them. Unfortunately, this has not been the case over the years due to which there has not been an end to the sense of alienation for the people of Assam and also those from other states of the North East Region. Altogether, there will have to be a major shift in the mindset of the people who are at the helm of affairs in New Delhi and the State Government of Assam will also have to wake up to ensure that it gets its dues and that too, in time, otherwise, it will continue to be labeled as a ‘puppet government’ which only dances to the tunes of New Delhi. On the other hand, the ULFA leadership will also have to plan its strategy for the future so that the people of Assam do not have to face betrayal any further. Also, the leadership will have to seriously accept the fact that any division in opinion in the ULFA ranks will only give an undue advantage to New Delhi and the ULFA will be on the backfoot. A solution to the issue is the urgent need of the hour, failing which Assam will continue to face oppression from external forces.
Ripunjoy Das
