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ULFA Peace Talks
Progress Amid Hurdles
By Swati Deb
It is a case of a glass half full or a glass half empty. The beauty ofa thing lies in the eye of the beholder.This paradoxical kind of situation, the ‘pro-talk faction’ of ULFA finds itself in is undoubtedly its own making and, it will be erroneous to find fault with that too.
In what is already being dubbed by the Paresh Barua faction of the ULFA as a ‘sell out’, a neo-pragmatic approach on the other hand is that the flexibility of Arabinda Rajkhowa and his team marked the beginning of a formal political dialogue with the Government of India. As they say, ‘The ice has been broken’.
The reference is to ULFA’s announcement in New Delhi on the 5th of August, 2011 that “sovereignty does not mean secession”.
A seven-member delegation of ULFA led by its Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa submitted a 12-point ‘broad charter of negotiations’ to the Union Home Secretary R. K Singh while indicating that it has given up its original demand of freedom for ‘Aai Asom’.
Fielding questions from journalists after the meeting, the suave ULFA Foreign Secretary Shasadhar Choudhury dispelled notions of ‘compromising on sovereignty’ demand but maintained in the same breath that, “sovereignty does not mean secession”.
“In fact, ULFA movement never started with the goal of secession ….. it was to ensure the respect of motherland and the indigenous people,” he said tongue-in-cheek.
His compatriot and ULFA Vice Chairman Pradip Gogoi explained that specific demands of the outfit as being guided by the civil society Sanmilita Jatiya Abhibartan (SJA) would be submitted to the Centre “phase wise .... as the talks progress.”
Taking questions from Eastern Panorama, on how would ULFA differentiates between secession and sovereignty, Gogoi, said, “The fact that we have stressed on the need for the government to appreciate the ‘genuineness’ of ULFA’s struggle, it shows our commitment to the sovereignty and the rights of the indigenous people is not compromised.”
It is true; the rhetoric has given the anti-talk faction and others a handle to put Rajkhowa and his compatriots in the dock.
In fact, within hours after the announcement, the perceived hardliner group led by fugitive Paresh Baruah gave a broad signal about its militant intentions and joined hands with other Northeastern groups including potent ones like NSCN (Khaplang) and PLA of Manipur. In an unprecedented meeting at Myanmar’s Taga stretch, it held a ‘prayer meeting’ for the speedy recovery of aging music maestro Bhupen Hazarika and noted writer Indira Goswami.
The legendary Hazarika is undergoing treatment in Mumbai and Goswami has been hospitalized since February in Guwahati Medical College.
Following this, the Government of India was subsequently forced to pull up its sleeves and take a closer look.
“It’s a clear message from the Baruah faction that it is alive and kicking. This only confirms our intelligence inputs that this group was trying to establish operational relations with other North East groups especially NSCN (K),” intelligence sources said in the national capital.
The Home Minister P Chidambaram, who had met the ULFA leaders on the 5th of August was almost taken aback by these reports. He was also informed that even from a section of civil society in Assam, the ULFA leadership has been criticized for causing much bloodshed and arson in Assam for 30 long years with its demand of ‘independence’ that was ultimately put into the dustbin.
The Home Secretary immediately got into business and alerted Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and other Northeastern states that in the days or weeks to come, the anti-talks faction of ULFA in coordination with other North East groups could try to spark off terror strikes in vulnerable public places in Assam as well as target the pro-talks leaders.
However, till date, neither the Centre nor the ULFA leadership have shown any nervousness and are going on full steam to keep the talks on track.
According to government sources, the real challenge is still to draw a clear roadmap – that is an agenda – for talks. “The broad charter of consultation is still very broad and has to be narrowed down to specific issues to make forward movement,” remarks a source.
Waning Confidence:
T
he challenge before the government is in effect multi-pronged. Elements in the pro-talk ULFA camp now doubt how much the beleaguered Dr. Manmohan Singh government can deliver. The provocation for this skepticism is the recent socio-political developments wherein Dr. Singh’s regime has appeared very weak-kneed and almost on the defensive. The reference is its alleged inept handling of the Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare stir as well as the recent CAG reports on various corruption cases.
ULFA has since then reportedly threw in latent but definitely confusing signals.
“If you are talking about ULFA accepting the Constitution of India, we do not rule it out. But if it is accepting the statute book as it is now then we have nothing to talk about,” a key ULFA leader reportedly told the Home Secretary during formal talks.
Taking this further, ULFA’s Foreign Secretary Sashadhar Choudhury says, “but we appreciate the flexibility shown by the Prime Minister and the Home Minister that in any democracy people are sovereign.”
ULFA Vice Chairman Pradip Gogoi explains that his group is for “genuine constitutional mechanism” to accommodate all sections of people. “I have said this in the meeting (with Chidambaram) that all issues can be resolved peacefully only by a fresh look,” he says adding that the people of Assam should get the right to assert their “inalienable rights to control their lands.”
Among other complex matters, ULFA has sought a ‘status report’ on the missing ULFA leaders and cadre and also the “right to engage in specific relationship with foreign countries for promotion of mutual trade, commerce and cultural relationship.”
These are extremely difficult issues to be understood simply by the gravity of their words. It is all the more difficult for a government to comprehend the complexity of North East India’s socio-political sentiments at a time when it is faced by a daily onslaught of attacks from both within Parliament and outside.
Log on to Problem area:
| Though it has fulfilled one of the preconditions put forward by the government in the form of giving up the demand for 'freedom , ULFA still has few hot potatoes in its kitty. |
“The beleaguered UPA government, reeling under serious corruption charges, for a change is seeking to win some brownie points by its pipe dream of a successful breakthrough in talks with North East insurgent groups,” ran a column in a leading daily summing up the juxtaposition.
The government’s list of woes does not end here. Though it has fulfilled one of the preconditions put forward by the government in the form of giving up the demand for ‘freedom’, ULFA still has few hot potatoes in its kitty.
“We have no confirmation, but there are indications that the ULFA could raise the issue of dual citizenship and reservation for indigenous people in the State Legislative Assembly,” aver intelligence sources.
The government and the security forces are also cautious about the impending developments. The possibilities of fresh violence in Assam have only aggravated the latent tension associated with the entire talks process.
In fact, an anti-talk faction of Bodo militant group NDFB has established working relations with the Paresh Baruah faction of ULFA, sources say. Targeting a single top ULFA leader could be major deterrent to the talks process at any time.
However, ULFA’s Foreign Secretary Sashadhar Choudhury has sought to make light of the Paresh Baruah faction’s chances of reviving militancy in the state as the “people of Assam are now totally for peace.”
He also ruled out that the anti-talks faction led by Paresh Baruah would try to target the pro-talk leaders. “The apprehension is uncalled for, he (Paresh Baruah) is just one of us,” Choudhury said.
The pro-talk faction led by Rajkhowa is now awaiting ceasefire and suspension of operations from the Government of India at the earliest. This itself is a double-edged sword. The ceasefire in neighbouring Nagaland has already posed a challenge wherein the Nagaland police recently reportedly refused to conduct any operation against suspected cadre of the anti-talks faction of ULFA and their Naga accomplices in Mon district.
ULFA has also put forward a bargaining chip by insisting that its arrested leader Anup Chetia, who is behind bars in Bangladesh, should be brought to India and convinced to participate in the talks. Rajkhowa also wants to travel to Bangladesh to meet Chetia in the Bangladesh jail if necessary.
The Government of India has taken up the issue in right earnest with Bangladesh and hopes to get Chetia ‘handed over’ to India.
The ULFA leaders’ hope also revolve around the possibility that the government could concede to guarantee certain special provisions to Assam in the lines of special constitutional protection to Jammu and Kashmir or Nagaland.
However, several grey areas still remain to be understood. Reportedly, when the Mizoram formula was suggested to the ULFA leaders wherein the then Congress Chief Minister had resigned paving the way for the elevation of late rebel leader Laldenga to the post, an important ULFA leader said “these offers do not excite us.”
Sources say that Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who landed in Delhi past midnight on the 4th of August, 2011 from a foreign tour, also interacted with the ULFA leaders and the Government of India officials.
In a move rife with implications, the Chief Minister assured that his government will ‘cooperate’ in bringing necessary changes in law or even Constitutional amendments to fulfill ULFA’s demands and aspirations.
Wrap UP:
The government interlocutor P. C Haldar and top home ministry officials now want to first ensure formal Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement with ULFA at the earliest. “There is a vested interest of peace in the state of Assam now,” says a government source underlining that ULFA will find it difficult to revive violence again. The same limitation applies to Paresh Baruah too.
At the same time, says a government analyzer, ULFA wants to shed the ‘parochial’ tag attached to it. “Once you all said ULFA is for Ahoms. But I am the Foreign Secretary and I am not Ahom,” Foreign Secretary Shashadhar Chowdhury eloquently said.
Showing a great step ahead in involving all sections of the people of Assam in their talks process, the ULFA leaders also said that the group considered “natives of Bengali-dominated Barak Valley in Cachar district as part of our people.” “We will take up issues concerning Barak Valley also,” said Choudhury.
It’s a pan-Assam image, that ULFA now tries to achieve as its new milestone.
