Skip to content Skip to navigation

Another Logjam in Peace Process

Our Correspondent
Guwahati: A war of word between Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and peace broker Mamoni Roisom Goswami may put the peace process in yet another logjam.

Talking to a vernacular daily on its Monday issue, the award winning writer says she is not satisfied the way Mr Gogoi urges her to rush to Bangladesh.

“If need be I am ready to leave for Bangladesh with Rebati but it must be a decent appeal.”

“Let the Government make necessary arrangement to go to Bangladesh. I will do it tomorrow itself. But it will not be my personal initiative. The Chief Minister knows: how a top ranked leader of a banned outfit can be met.”

She rues that she finds it difficult it ti understand what Mr Gogoi says these days.

Notably, in a recent press conference Mr Gogoi said, “let Mamoni Raisom Goswami meet Paresh Baruah or Arabinda Rajkhowa and convince them to come forward for talk, as direct contact with them is necessary for talks.”

Mr Gogoi also said it was strange that Mamoni Raisom Dr Goswami was maintaining silence on the Hajo blast. According to Mr Gogoi, “she has not condemned the incident, which I feel is rather strange.”

It may be recalled the entire peace process was revived recently while a forum headed by the professor with Delhi University called on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in Delhi and urged him to revive the process.

When the delegation called on National Security Adviser MK Narayanan sought a direct proposal to the Government from the ULFA top brass to this effect.

The Chief Minister further asserted that the Centre’s stand on talks with the ULFA was clear, he said direct contact with the top leadership of the outfit was necessary for the purpose.

Comments

Sanjoy Hazarika's picture

What is this" peace process" that people are writing about and so excited about, especially the media. You have a group of well-meaning people who do not have any independent contact with Ulfa, as far as I can see, and certainly no clear authorization from them to negotiate. All that this group is doing is requesting the Govt. of India to "talk". The GOI has said it won't until Ulfa leaders come for talks unconditionally. This, the latter have said, they won't. So what peace process are we talking about -- it has no support from either side and is obviously not regarded seriously by too many people in the state and other parts of the NE. It would be better is the media took a dispassionate look at the whole issue instead of rushing into print or broadcast every time. In this case, we have a group of well-meaning citizens wanting to promote peace, which of course is commendable but does not go very far. It is important to note that the PCG, which has set up by Ulfa, may be defunct but it has not been disbanded.

Pages

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

Restoring Assam-Nagaland bonhomie

10 Oct 2015 - 7:20am | AT News
Civil society organizations both from Assam and Nagaland at a conclave in Guwahati on Friday have agreed to help the two north eastern states restore age old trust and bonhomie. Amid trouble and...

Ganesh Puja at Bornadi WLS to mitigate man-elephant conflict

13 Sep 2011 - 8:48pm | Jayanta Kumar Das
Large scale human encroachment of the age old elephant corridors of Udalguri district of Assam has posed serious threat to ecology of the district as well as the state. Unabated felling of trees and...

Scholars study ways for professional, scientific research

4 Apr 2016 - 9:16pm | CM Paul
An university in northeast India has launched a 10-day study to help PhD scholars undertake professional research in the field of Social Sciences.Assam Don Bosco University (ADBU) inaugurated ten day...

Shillong HSA Freshers Meet-cum-Annual Conference 2011

29 Aug 2011 - 11:32pm | editor
The Hmar students in Shillong (Meghalaya) under the aegis of the Hmar Students’ Association (HSA), Joint Headquarters, Shillong will be holding its 54th Freshers’ Meet-cum-Annual...

Other Contents by Author

Union Power Minister M Veerappa Moily on Monday assured Assam of extra power to help the state tide over the black-out like situation. Reviewing the state’s power situation in Dispur, he told reporters that the Centre would provide all possible help to the state to improve power scenario. Moily discussed with Chief Minister the possibility of tapping power supply from neighbouring Bhutan.
Two hand grenades and as many detonators were recovered from the house of a former NDFB insurgent at a village in Baksa district of Assam. Acting on a tip-off, police and SSB launched a joint operation at Kotabari village, under Tamulpur police station, and recovered the explosives hidden under a haystack in the house of cadre Rakesh Bodo. During interrogation, Rakesh told the police that the Bodoland Peoples Front party's Darangajuli vice-president Sanatan Sarania had asked him to keep the explosives in his house. Both Rakesh and Sarania were arrested.
ULFA on Sunday came down heavily on Rahul Gandhi alleging that the Congress leader his verbal certificate to the immigrants in Kokrajhar and Dhubri districts suggests a conspiracy to weed out the identity of the indigenous people. In a statement sent to media houses on Sunday, the outfit maintained that the indigenous people have knowledge of large-scale migration from the neighbouring country. According to ULFA, the government has gone ahead with describing the migrants as Indian which was indeed a matter of grave concern for the people.
ULFA’s anti-talk faction urges strongly backs agitation against illegal migrants to protect the interest of the indigenous people. In a statement e-mailed to media, the outfit’s chairman said that the state must be get rid of the immigrants to ensure that the overall interest of the indigenous people are allowed to remained secured.
The violence-hit people in BTAD areas ad Dhubri district are leaving the refugee camps even as the government steps up efforts to send them back to their homes. According to official sources, altogether 1,87,052 persons affected by the violence are still lodged in 206 camps even after nearly two months since trouble broke out in five districts. The refugees include 1,68,875 Muslims housed in 174 camps, 17,344 Bodos in 29 camps and 833 belonging to the other communities in three camps. Dhubri has the highest number of 1,01,373 inmates in 129 camps followed by Kokrajhar with 55,760 inmates in 43 camps, Chirang with 23,609 inmates in 22 camps, Bongaigaon with 5554 inmates in nine camps and...
Flood situation in four districts remains grim. The waterlevel of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries continues to maintain a rising trend following incessant rainfall in the catchment areas. Over three lakh population have been affected in the districts of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur and Kamrup by the third wave of floods to hit the state this year. In Dhemaji Chamaong, Gainadi, Jiadhol, Kumotia and Lali are flowing above the danger level affecting 340 villages. Ranganadi, Rangajan, Dihing, Kakpoi and Tingra rivers are also overflowing flooding 100 villages in Lakhimpur.
SERS Public School organised a career cum motivational talk at its school premises on 15th September. It was organized to sensitise students on various career options and also how to be successful in life. Ranjan K Baruah of North East Youth Foundation (NEYF) was the resource person on the occasion. Students were told on various career options apart from effective time management, importance of attitude, life skills and importance of communication skill and other soft skills. Apart from the students, Biren Sarma, Managing Director of SERS Public School also attended the programme. NEYF is a Guwahati based youth organisation working with young people for vibrant civil society.
A protest meeting at Guwahati Press Club today demanded strict punishment to the killer and conspirators of Raihanul Nayum, a young reporter of Gana Chabuk- published from Dhubri-who was assassinated on September 8 by a mob generated after an incident of theft in a Kali temple. Organized by Journalists’ Action Committee, the protest meeting also urged the government to pay a sum of Rs 10,00,000 as compensation to the family of Nayum. Attended by the Guwahati based journalists, the meeting also resolved to pursues for a special protection law for the journalists on duty. They also urged the editorial heads of the media outlets in Assam to issue proper appointment letters/ identity...
A special event on the saint Sankaradeva was organised at Delhi on September 13 as part of the 'Srimanta Sankardeva Movement, Delhi Initiative, 2012' by the Assam Association of Delhi in association with Trend MMS in Delhi. The event was attended by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, HRD minister Kapil Sibal, and union DoNER minister Paban Singh Ghatowar. Noted actress Shabana Azmi, Former Assam Governot Lt. Gen. S K Sinha were among the participants. Noted actor Victor Banerjee was speaking as the brand ambassador of the initiative. Sanjib Sabhapandit's short documentary on the saint Sankaradeva was appreciated by the audience at Kamani Auditorium. The dance-dram Chor Dhara Jhumura was a...
KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi attended a huge rally organized by AJYCP on Saturday in Guwahati to show his solidarity with AJYCP. Talking to assamtimes, he said that KMSS stand was clear---to solve the issue of influx in a democratic manner. He said that the was no people conflict and we need a peaceful resolution. All district-level units of AJYCP joined the rally besides KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi and Chatra Mukti Sangram Samiti. The protesters formed a human chain to highlight their concern and to pitch for their demand. The rally was organized under the banner of Sargahiti Srinkhal Samabesh.