Friday, December 4, 2009

Ray of hope in northeast

With handing over of ULFA Chairman Arbinda Rajkhowa,deputy commander in chief of military operations and 9 others and government preparedness of starting peace talks with them, the ray of hopes of ending the decades long violence has dawned on northeast. Bangladesh under Prime Minister Sheikh Hassina has been very co-operative in detaining Arbind Rajkhowa and handing him over to BSF on Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalay and from there they were brought to Assam to be produced in court. Nabbing of Arbinada Rajib Rajkhowa is a prize catch of India with the help of Bangladesh. Ulfa top brass had made Bangladesh a safe haven and from there they were operating against India. Sheikh Hassina’s predecessor whose government was in power on the basis of support from hardline regious parties which harboured ill will against had given full support to Indian separatist and secessionist outfits to operate against India. But it is the co-operative and friendly attitude of Sheikh Hassina that the arrest of Rajkhowa could be possible. Arbind Rajkhowa is one of four founding members of ULFA in 1979 of Assam. They perpetrared violence on the innocent citizens of northeast and demanding sovereignty of Assam . Union Home Minister has rightly said in Rajya Sabha on wedenessday that if the ULFA abjures violence and there is no demand of sovereignty, government is prepared to take forward peace process with them. Arbind Rajkhowa has always been in favour of starting talks with the government but the Commander-in-Chief of ULFA Paresh Baruah who is still at large has always been reluctant to peace talks with the government of India. He is reportedly somewhere in southeast countries. Government preparedness to start negotiation with ULFA for peace and development of northeast is good move but at the same time it must not lower guard because in the past whenever the government offered olive branch and relaxed military operations against the banned outfit ULFA, they took advantage of it in grouping themselves. It is also correct that ULFA is in dissaray and divided but the government must be wary of Paresh Baruah’s militant activities. It has also been reported that government offer of talks has been informed to Baruah through Rajkhowa and he has reportedly declined the offer. Even if that is so, government should not leave its effort to start negotiation with the ULFA leaders headed by Rajib Rajkhowa. The weakened and divided separatist and secessionist groups are beneficial to India. The Centre must start peace initiatives in northeast with whichever separatist groups who are ready to abjure violence, leave the demand of sovereignty and pledge faith in the Constitution of India.

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