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09/27/2005: "Therie terms suspension as "political sports""


Therie terms suspension as "political sports" Kohima 26, 2005 Webindia

Former Nagaland Finance Minister Kewekhape Therie, who was dropped from the Neiphiu Rio ministry and subsequently suspended from the Nagaland Peoples' Front, described his suspension as ''political sports''.
Mr Therie said he was yet to receive any formal communication from the party and appealed to all his well wishers to take the matter sportingly. He said inner party democracy guranteed freedom of expression which is also a fundamental right of a citizen.
''Expressing opinion within the four corner of party forum for improvement of the functioning of the party and government is the right of any party member,'' he said. Reaffirming continuous support to the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government's Common Minimum Programme and declared policy of equi-closeness, Mr Therie said the certificate for his performance can be given only by the electorate, a release said. UNI AS MS AK DS1212
There is a sense of peace in Manipur: Fernandes The Imphal Free Press
IMPHAL, Sep 25: "Plebiscite does not figure in our constitution and if somebody wants it, the constitution needs to be amended." This was stated by the visiting former union defence minister George Fernandes, president of JDU and sitting MP of Lok Sabha at a press conference held at Hotel Imphal today when he was asked by the mediapersons about his views on the plebiscite proposed by an insurgent group in Manipur. He also observed that insurgency will take its own time and expressed his wishes to the NSCN (IM)-GoI talks` success. Speaking on the issue of territorial integrity he conveyed that it is a very sensitive issue that any government should handle with utmost care. When asked about his stand on the territorial integrity of north eastern states in the face of Naga peace talk, he said, "I am for the territorial integrity of the country. This country should not be played with."

Commenting on the allegation made by Gurudas Dasgupta, sitting CPI MP, at a function of the 12th AITUC meet held yesterday, that the NDA was voted out due to its communal politics and bad economic policy, George Fernandes retorted that recently a leader of the Shiv Sena, who was branded as a communal leader, joined the Congress party and was willingly accepted as a secular leader. He said that in the name of secularism the Congress party is carrying out all kind of atrocities. Expressing strong resentment against the Congress leader who called him "kaffan chor" during the coffin scandal, when he was barred from speaking in the Parliament for 2 years, he said that the Congress party is a "bunch of liars who can never speak the truth". George Fernandes who left Imphal for his onward journey to Chennai this afternoon also briefed the mediapersons on wide ranging topics covering his visit, his party, the issues of insurgency and peace talks, and communalism in Indian politics at Hotel Imphal. Stating that the main purpose of his visit was to have fruitful discussions with party colleagues and meet long time friends, George Fernandes asserted that he was not here to discuss any political or specific subjects. He said that based on his interactions with party colleagues and other people he had the impression that "there is a sense of peace in this area and I am happy about it". In today`s press briefing Shiv Kumar, general secretary and spokesman of JD (U) and the state party president were also present.

Army extends operation to Dihing Patkai, more casualties in Dibru Saikhowa
NET News Network

Guwahati, Sept 26: The security forces today launched fresh operation in the Dihing Patkai forest in order to flush out “on the run” cadres of ULFA militants as reports of killing of two more leaders of the outfit poured in from conflict ravaged Dibru Saikhowa reserve forest in upper Assam. Reportedly launched by army’s 3 Corps and manned by personnel of Dinjan base, the operation in the Tinsukia-Arunachal border was launched to prevent escape of ULFA’s 28 Battalion’s members to Myanmar. Some of the top leaders of the Battalion along with cadres have reportedly sneaked out of Dibru Saikhowa area and are currently holed up in Dihing Patkai region.

A source informed northeasttribune.com that repeated wireless message was sent to the holed up militants since the last two days to surrender or face the heat. Meanwhile, personnel of 4 Jat Regiment shot dead two more cadres of ULFA this morning in the Ajuka (South) region of Dibru Saikhowa forest. The slain militants have been identified as self styled SS Corporal Nilim Kumar of Tengakhat and Hiren Dohotia of Raidang in Doomdooma. Huge quantity of arms and ammunitions including AK-56, 303 Rifles, Grenades and ammunitions of AK-56 has been recovered from the duo.

Peace initiative to continue: CM By A Staff Reporter Assam Tribune
GUWAHATI, Sept 26 – The People’s Consultative Group (PCG), formed by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to pave the way for talks with the Government of India, today called upon the Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, to ensure suspension of hostilities to create a congenial atmosphere for talks. Members of the group today met the Chief Minister and submitted a memorandum in this regard. The PCG highlighted the plight of the common people in the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park due to Army operations and alleged that the basic rights of the people are being violated. The PCG members also said that the Army should be restrained to create a congenial atmosphere for talks. The Chief Minister assured his full cooperation to carry forward the peace initiative and said that he would take up the issue with the Prime Minister’s Office. He said that he would be the happiest person if the deadlock is broken during his tenure to initiate talks with the ULFA. The Chief Minister also said that he has already instructed the District Administration to ensure regular supply of essential commodities to the area and the local MLA has been sent to the area to take stock of the situation.

Meanwhile, one of the members of the group told this correspondent that a formal letter from the ULFA on the formation of the group is on the way and the same would be delivered to the Prime Minister’s Office shortly. In the memorandum, the PCG members urged Chief Minister to take appropriate measures at his end and also persuade the Centre to pave the way for peace talks by creating a congenial and conducive atmosphere. It requested the “whole-hearted co-operation” of the State Government for the purpose. The PCG insisted that the Army operation launched in Dibru-Saikhowa is “absolutely untimely, unwarranted and unfortunate.” The operation has also resulted in “massive” violation of the human rights of a vast civilian population, it alleged. It said that for the first time the ULFA has expressed its willingness for dialogue with the Union Government by entrusting the “civil society” to prepare the ground work for facilitating the long elusive talks.

“We hope that you will use your good office as the elected head of government to see to it that all necessary exercises are taken up by the State Government towards augmenting the peace process,” the PCG said. It said that the Army action in Dibru-Saikhowa is a “disturbing development” which, with all the imports and purports, is “not proving to be congenial for any peace process.” The PCG reasoned that although there has not been an offensive or violence on the part of the ULFA in recent weeks and though the outfit has shown willingness for peace talks through the initiative of the PCG, the Army actions can “never help the peace process.” This is the time for all concerned to show restraint, the PCG stated, adding that the Army actions and Union Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s recent remarks would only indicate “failure to appreciate the latest positive gesture and sincerity shown by the ULFA for initiation of peace process through the PCG.”

Sino-Indian boundary talks begin Assam Tribune
BEIJING, Sept 26 – India and China have adopted formal and informal means to address their boundary dispute as their Special Representatives held talks today aimed at finding a “package” solution to the vexed issue. India's National Security Advisor MK Narayanan and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo met informally in the eastern metropolis, Shanghai during the weekend before arriving here for official-level negotiations, an official source told PTI. “The two Special Representatives had long and many informal meetings in Shanghai before coming here,” he said, adding the two sides were addressing the issues involved in a determined way.
Even today, the first day of the sixth round of talks, Dai requested for an informal meeting prior to the holding of delegation-level negotiations, which went on for nearly 45 minutes at the picturesque Diaoyutai State Guest House. Prior to the informal meeting, Narayanan and Dai shook hands, exchanged pleasantries and posed for photos, displaying good chemistry between the two Special Representatives who are tasked with a difficult task. Indian Ambassador Nalin Surie, Joint Secretary, East Asia, Ministry of External Affairs, Ashok Kantha and other senior officials are attending the in-camera talks.
Narayanan, who is on his first visit to China, will call on Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee member and Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Jia Qinglin here tomorrow. He will also meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing tomorrow. The Special Representative mechanism to address the border issue was created during the June 2003 visit of the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to China. The two sides agreed to appoint a Special Representative each to explore, from the political perspective, the framework of a boundary settlement.
Earlier, commenting on the meeting, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said the two sides will discuss the framework for resolving the border issue by starting from the political perspective of the overall bilateral relations in line with the Political Guiding Principles for Solving the Border Issue between China and India. “We believe the two sides will be able to find a solution which is fair and reasonable and acceptable to both sides through equal consultation and mutual understanding and accommodation in the spirit of the political guiding principles,” Qin said.

Assam, Nagaland decide to jointly fight illegal migrants Assam Tribune
KOHIMA, Sept 26 – Assam and Nagaland have decided to fight the problem of illegal migrants and strive to reduce tension in areas where the two states have had long standing border disputes. The decision was taken by officials from the two states at a meeting that took place recently at Numaligrah in Assam. The Nagaland team was represented by additional chief secretary and commissioner TN Mannen while Assam was represented by Upper Assam division commissioner. The officials resolved to share information on movement of suspected Bangladeshi nationals and formation of peace committees in Disputed Area Belt (DAB) that would have members from both states. Although the meeting witnessed heated arguments over the proposal of setting up of a Nagaland Armed Police (NAP) post in Longleng district, the states agreed for a joint field team, comprising DIG and border magistates, to look into any complaint of voilation of interim agreements on protracted border disputes, sources said. The officials also resolved to hold future meetings on border disputes at field level and include cultural exchange programmes during the meets. The protracted border disputes had so far remained unsettled with Assam seeking court settlement and Nagaland urging for an out of court solution. – PTI

Poverty, highways force Meghalaya girls into prostitution Assam Tribune
GUWAHATI, Sept 26 – Poverty, ethnic and armed conflict in the North-east region, large networks of highways and a porous international border make young girls vulnerable to prostitution in Meghalaya, which has become a supply zone for trafficking in flesh trade. A study conducted by Impulse NGO Network in Meghalaya found that economic impoverishment, being the cause and effect of ethnic and armed conflict in the region, resulted in major displacement of the people forcing children and young women to be vulnerable to physical and sexual exploitation. IIM alumnus and president of Impulse NGO Network Hasina Kharbhih during her study found that highways were one of the main areas in carrying out the business of prostitution in Meghalaya which does not even have any prominent red light area.
The highways have turned into a network for trafficking with clients being mostly truck drivers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states ferrying goods across the country, said Hasina whose NGO is campaigning against human trafficking and working for child rights.

The brothels functioned in the large network of highways, including NH 40 – Jorabat, Shillong, Tamabil, NH 44 –Shillong, Jowai, NH 51 – Tura, Dalu, NH 62 – Dangma and Dakmara. Although the highway brothels are a part of the unorganised sector, she said their modus operandi was pretty systematised with the girls picked up from one dropped at another along the National Highways. With the truck itself sometimes sufficing instead of the brothels, the NGO president said the charges ranged between Rs 150 to Rs 200 per client. Minor girls from rural areas employed as helpers in the tea and food stalls along the highways were trafficked for prostitution and many of them were lured by truckers into fake marriages and better jobs, she observed. The marriages were fake because these girls after getting married were often sold by their husbands into brothels of the metropolititan cities, Kharbhih said. The recent increase in the number of girls from Assam trafficked to Haryana as sex slaves had an important link with the phenomena of highway prostitution, she said. An extremely porous international boundary the region shares with Bhutan, China, Myanmar and Bangladesh, proximity to the infamous ‘golden triangle’ facilitating free flow of narcotics and arms often have a cumulative effect and manifested in trafficking of children and young women. A large number of women and children from Meghalaya and other states of the North-east had been trafficked to as far as Bangkok in Thailand, she said.
Hasina said the ban on felling of timber in the region further compounded the situation in Meghalaya as it was a means of earning a livelihood for a large section of rural population.
“While such a step has been commendable in attempting to save and preserve resources and protect the larger environment, the problem is that there has been no alternative given by the government to the rural population,” said the NGO chief. Stating this as a major factor pushing rural people to migrate to the urban areas looking for employment and better standards of living, she said, prostitution arose as yet another problem due to larger issues of socio-economic conditions.
“Laws might be in place but there is a huge gap in their enforcement and implementation. Lack of sensitisation, corruption and nexus with the traffickers are some of the reasons for the apathy of the police,” Hasina said. Moreover, effective support systems such as public health care, education and political will are lacking to help arrest the problem immensely, she said, adding, the phenomena of globalisation and a larger apathetic community also had detrimental effect on the gruesome situation. “Living under conditions worse than caged animals, the women engaged in prostitution were living lives of bonded labourers and slaves in an otherwise free, democratic, sovereign country like India,” the Impulse NGO head regretted. – PTI

Peace grows in thin soil in India’s restive Nagaland (REUTERS / by Simon Denyer)
The tiny village of Khonoma in the thickly forested hills of remote northeastern India is littered with war memorials. A memorial to British officers who lost their lives when Naga tribesmen ambushed them in 1879. Memorials to scores of villagers killed in five decades of resistance to Indian rule. Today, there is peace in Khonoma, but there is growing concern that it might not last. Eight years of ceasefire between Christian Naga rebels and the Indian government have brought little sign of a solution. We had high expectations when the ceasefire started, that there was going to be a solution after long years,” said village council chief Vishulie Mor. “But people are not very confident now. And if the ceasefire breaks we are back to square one.” Outside, children in grey uniforms come home from school, umbrellas up against the drizzle. A massive concrete Baptist church dominates the highest point on the ridge. In the valley below, farmers tend their rice paddies, the bright green terraces contrasting with the dark green of the steeply forested slopes above them. For half a century, Naga tribesmen fought the army in these mountains, before agreeing to the ceasefire in 1997. India’s oldest insurgency had cost more than 20,000 lives. Few places symbolise the Naga independence fight like Khonoma. The village was burned down by the British in 1850, resisted a fierce British assault after the 1879 ambush and was home to the first leader of Naga resistance to Indian rule. Farmer Lhulie Mayse does not know his birthday. Records, he says, were lost when the Indians burned down Khonoma when he was seven, in 1956. Today, the army is trying to win the hearts and minds of villagers by distributing medicines, the rebels gradually losing support by only showing up to collect “taxes”. “In our childhood, we used to hear the sound of the Indian army vehicles and we would run and hide. But we would welcome the undergrounds,” he said. “Now it is the other way round.” But Mayse is not quite sure he believes the Indian army’s claim, written beside every camp of the Assam Rifles, that they are the “Friends of the Hill People”.
“After the ceasefire the Assam Rifles have become friendly, they don’t molest our women now,” he said. “But we know that if the ceasefire breaks they will go back to being hostile to the people.” In July, the main rebel factionóthe National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isaac-Muivah) — extended its ceasefire with India for only six months, instead of a year, frustrated by the lack of progress in talks, and India’s reluctance to give ground.
At the same time, the NSCN-IM has been extending its grip over Naga society, and is recruiting hundreds of new fighters every year. It is probably the strongest rebel group in northeastern India and a settlement in Nagaland is considered critical for a broader peace in the under-developed region.
“Time is running out,” warned Neingulo Krome, secretary-general of the Naga Ho-Ho, the supreme tribal council which represents all 32 tribes; three million people in northeast India and Myanmar. “Within these six months something new must come, and I don’t know how the government of India will do it.” But of even greater concern to most Nagas is the lack of unity in the “freedom movement”. Three factions, partly divided along tribal lines, claim to represent the Naga cause. Instead of fighting India, though, they often seem to be fighting each other.
“You can’t really say the conditions for peace have been built,” said one Naga intellectual, who declined to be named because of rebel threats in the past. “Violence could happen at any time, and the worst will be between the factions.” In Khonoma, 33-year-old schoolteacher Ronald Meru says many of the younger generation want peace above independence. “I am a Naga,” he said. “But those of us who have seen the outside world, seen Delhi and Calcutta, we feel we are just a small part of our country. We don’t have so much to boast about, we should just obey the rules and live our lives.” In many other hearts, especially those who have lived through the darkest days of the insurgency, the dream of an independent Nagaland burns as strongly as ever.
One thing is sure, the government can ill afford to take the Nagas for granted. “People are fed up with the violence, the killing, the fratricide,” said the intellectual. “On the other hand the overall sentiment for independence is still there. Something honourable has to be worked out.” Council chief Mor says his “blood” is Naga: “That is God’s decision. That does not mean India is bad, but we are different.” “In 1956 our parents would say freedom first and peace second,” he said. “Now in 2005, peace and unity is the first priority, then comes freedom.” Mor pauses for a moment. “But if the rebels were united,” he added, “I would fight for them tomorrow.”

UNLF reacts to Central leaders` views on plebiscite The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, Sep 26 : Reacting sharply to the observations made by three Central leaders on the issue of holding a plebiscite to end the decades old insurgency in Manipur, the United National Liberation Front, UNLF has maintained that the outfit is prepared to abide by the verdict of the people through a plebiscite under the UN aegis so as to resolve the Manipur-India conflict once and for all. The outfit also made it clear that it will continue the armed struggle for even a hundred years, if compelled.

The UNLF reaction came in the wake of negative response on the issue of holding a plebiscite to end insurgency in Manipur by three Central leaders namely Union defence minister Pranab Mukherjee, former defence minister and JDU chief George Fernandes and CPI leader Gurudas Das Gupta, who visited the state recently, almost simultaneously. A UNLF statement issued by its senior publicity officer, Ksh Yoiheiba, said Indian political leaders of both the ruling and the opposition parties are streaming into Manipur, this time around. Soon after defence minister Pranab Mukherjee left Imphal, Gurudas Das Gupta of the CPI flew in followed by former defence minister George Fernandez, it said adding that the purpose of their visits may be different apparently, but the timing and their remarks betrays a common tune - to disorient the people of Manipur from plebiscite. It also said that the visiting leaders gave more emphasis on technicalities rather than trying to understand the core issue of the conflict, particularly its human aspect. On the issue of holding a plebiscite to end the Manipur-India conflict, as proposed by the UNLF, Pranab Mukherjee and Gurudas Das Gupta expressed more or less the same stance of flatly rejecting it as not possible, the UNLF statement said admitting that it is usual for any government and therefore not unexpected. However, George Fernandez, while pointing out constitutional limitations, showed some flexibility in saying that to hold the plebiscite the Indian constitution needs to be amended first as it does not have any provision to conduct such a plebiscite, it said adding that Fernandes`s comment is interesting.

Reacting sharply specifically to Gurudas Das Gupta`s observation, the UNLF statement said the CPI leader made some self-contradictory remarks showing himself to be a bundle of confusions. His reported remark that `as Manipur is a small state it will not survive independently even if it got independence from the Indian Union`, as if Manipur was never independent before, is a contemptuous insult to the people of Manipur, it said. It further said that Gupta should understand that the history of Manipur did not begin with the annexation by India in 1949. Do we have to refresh his knowledge of Manipur`s history as an independent nation for many centuries and that Manipur is the first country in South Asia to hold democratic elections under universal franchise in 1948, the UNLF statement asked.

What is even more ridiculous is Gupta`s dogmatic and outdated formulation that `independence is an imperialist slogan` and that `a small state like Manipur would subsequently fall under the domination of bigger and developed imperialist countries like America`, it further stated. Going by this logic Gupta and his party CPI still do not recognize India`s independence from `British imperialists` as well as that of hundreds of Asian and African former colonies to be `genuine independence`, it went on to add. Commenting on his prognosis that the problem now confronted by Manipur`s peasants would remain unattended to even if Manipur `secedes` from India as an independent state, it expressed regret that a veteran like Gupta should have made such a naive remark as if we would go into `hibernation` after regaining independence (not `secession` because the annexation of Manipur was and remains illegal and unconstitutional). To make it easier for Gupta to understand, our struggle for regaining independence from Indian colonial occupation is an essential stage of our `democratic revolution` to restore genuine democratic rights of our people, particularly of the peasants so as to free them from exploitative colonial and feudal relations, it said. Gupta`s apprehension that the lot of common people and the peasants would worsen in an independent Manipur is unfounded and pretentious, it said.
Gurudas Das Gupta also said that poverty, atrocities and cases like that of Manorama are not something happening only in Manipur, the UNLF said and asked whether Gupta can name another state in India where the Indian military and paramilitary forces have been given power to commit such grave human rights violations in a systematic manner for more than 50 years.

It further asked Gupta if he ever tried to understand that `violence` in Manipur is the effect of Indian state terrorism being used to suppress the legitimate aspirations of the people. Reacting to Gupta`s `concern` about Manipur`s survivability, the UNLF further said it need not elaborate more than saying that many countries, much smaller than Manipur, in Africa and the Asia Pacific have become independent and are very much surviving even better than bigger countries. Today, the world itself has become much smaller and interdependent as a global village, the UNLF observed and said that there is no country in the world, big or small, which is sovereign and independent in absolute terms. As such the size of a country is no longer an important determinant of a country`s survivability as an independent nation, it said. Asserting that human resource is one of the most important factors in contemporary world, the UNLF said Manipur could do even better than India in many areas with its rich human resources. After liberation from India, the states in the so-called `north eastern region`, of which Manipur will be a unit, will survive in interdependence among themselves and with the world community as well, it said countering that the question is not of survival but to end India`s suppression of Manipur`s independent survival. Gupta`s support for total repeal of AFSPA is appreciative but the contradiction is AFSPA was specifically enacted to suppress the liberation struggles - `insurgency` - in the `northeast`, and this `insurgency` in Manipur is not going to end unless and until the legitimate sovereign independence of Manipur is restored, it said adding that so long as `insurgency` is there, the GOI will say they have to continue military operations which entails inhuman repression.

As such the old AFSPA may go, but another one in a new garb will come, and logically, therefore, support only for the total repeal of AFSPA does not hold water. it should extend to ending the colonial military repression itself for which AFSPA is only the legal instrument, it said adding that it is time India had learn lessons from Vietnam, Afghanistan and of course, East Timor.
ASDC (P) delegation meets PM’s High-Level Committee ‘Only autonomous state can solve problems’ From our Correspondent
DIPHU, Sept 26: A two-member delegation of the ASDC (P), comprising Daniel Teron, general secretary and Rabinson Kro, vice-president met the Prime Minister’s High-Level Committee recently at Guwahati and submitted a memorandum urging the Committee to recommend the creation of an autonomous State comprising Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills districts as envisaged under Article 244 (A) of the Indian Constitution. The memorandum pointed out that the two hills districts of the State were inhabited mainly by hill tribes along with a sizeable non-tribal population. The memorandum stated that Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills districts of the State were the most backward districts in respect of education, industry, agriculture, road communication and health. The memo also stated that this was the result of ‘perpetual neglect and continued exploitation’ of all the parties that came into power in the State. The memorandum pointed out that because of continued neglect and the step-motherly attitude of all the Governments in power, the tribal areas of erstwhile Assam severed connection with the State except Karbi Anglong and NC Hills. The memorandum, stressing the demand for an autonomous State, claimed that States like Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram achieved substantial progress after attainment of statehood, while the condition of the people of Karbi Anglong and NC Hills districts is deteriorating day-by-day. The ASDC (P) delegation urged the committee to recommend the creation of an autonomous State comprising Karbi Anglong and NC Hills districts, adding that it is high time for the Union Government to grant these districts an Autonomous State and give the ever-neglected people of the hill areas a scope for development. To brief the press about their meeting with the Prime Minister's High Level Committee, the ASDC(P) convened a press conference yesterday and it was addressed by Robinson Kro, vice-president, ASDC (P), Daniel Teron, general secretary, ASDC(P) and Sanjoy Killing, finance secretary, ASDC(P). Addressing the mediapersons, Robinson Kro said that after the reorganization of Assam in 1979, many tribal dominated areas attained statehood. He said that Karbi Anglong and NC Hills still remained with Assam and Karbis were the smallest minority community in Assam in terms of population. Kro said that the Karbis also deserved the same treatment and attention from New Delhi. He said the problems of the Karbis would only be solved if an autonomous state was granted to them under Article 244 (A) which would help the hill people not only to safeguard their ethnicity, culture, but would also give them a scope for development.
AGP demands suspension of Army operation in Dibru-Saikhowa Respect human rights : AGP From our Correspondent
TEZPUR, Sept 26: Appealing to the Central and the State governments for immediate suspension of the Army operation against the ULFA in Dibru-Saikhowa forest in Upper Assam, AGP president Brindaban Goswami has said that general people should not be harassed in the name of operation against the outfit. He took strong exception to the Army keeping 10,000 people under seize in the area cordoned by the Army and termed it as an act of "human rights violation". "At a time when the ULFA has shown interest in settling the issues through dialogue for which the ‘Peoples Consultative Group’ has been formed, the Army operation in Dibru-Saikhowa forest will definitely hinder the peace process", Goswami said. Alleging that the Centre did not have any intention of settling the insurgency problem in the State, the AGP president, talking to mediapersons at Tezpur circuit house recently, said, "My party has always been in favour of settling the issues through dialogue, for which we have been urging the Central and State governments as well as the ULFA to create a platform accordingly."
Welcoming the peace move of the outfit in response to public opinion for a peaceful solution, Goswami said, "If the Army operation continues at this juncture, the situation of Assam will further aggravate." Alleging that the present Tarun Gogoi-led State Government is maintaining a safe distance from the problem "to prove its innocence", he said that the people of the State were observing the activities of the present Government and would throw it out of power in the next Assembly elections. "The inaction of police and the district administration in the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park shows that the present government has no right to continue as people’s representative", he said.


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