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

Other Contents by Author

Thirty-eight ULFA cadres, including a woman cadre, laid down their arms before the army in Tamulpur in Baksa district on Thursday morning. The group was by Nayan Kakoti who surrendered before the GOC 4 Corps Lt Gen B S Jamwal at 21 Mountain Brigade Headquarters of Red Horn Division. They further submitted a huge cache of arms and ammunition including 27 pistols, 18 grenades, 22 detonators, 30 kgs of explosives and 150 rounds of AK-47 live ammunition.Speaking on the occasion, Lt Gen Jamwal said the army was trying to bring back misguided youths to the mainstream adding that insurgency cannot bring any solution. He further informed that some top cadres will be surrendering soon. Assam...
Manipur Alliance for Child Rights organizing mass rally in connection with "Remove Armed Forces Special Power Act 1958" and "Protect our children's rights" held at Place Compound, Imphal on 23-01-08.
A car rally was organized with 64 jeeps from Kaziranga to Bokakhat by Kaziranga Jeep Safari Union, Kaziranga Devlopment Union and Kaziranga Greenland Society, to protest against killing rhino, appealing forest minister to take appropriate actions towards save the rhinos of Kaziranga. Photo: Kaushik Hazarika, Bokakhat.
Several Guwahati based working journalists and writers including noted author Nirupama Bargohain and veteran journalist Dhirendranath Chakravorty have made an appeal to the people of Assam and the Northeast to hoist the Indian National Flag atop their houses and in their own localities on the occasion of 59th Republic Day of the country on January 26. In a statement they said that the Republic Day of the country should be celebrated by the citizens in recognition to the sacrifices made by the martyrs, who accepted martyrdom to wrest liberty for their compatriots. Many of their colleagues also under underwent tremendous hardship to free the country from the colonial yoke. The people of the...
Freedom fighter and one time close aide of Netaji, Umesh Chandra Devchaudhory on Wednesday demanded that the Mukherjee Commission report should be made public to unearth the circumstances leading to the death of Subhas Chandra Bose. Remembering Netaji on his 112th birth anniversary, Mr Devchaudhory said that the leader was killed during the Nehru regime. Quoting an Ananda Bazaar Patrika story, he observed that Netaji did not had a natural death and was killed. He said the people should know the reason behind the mysterious death of Subhas Chandra Bose. The Netaji took up arms for an independent India. But a gulf of difference is these between the demand for India’s independence and...
Several non Rabha organizations on Wednesday demanded reorganization of the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council area. Participating at a meeting in Dispur with revenue minister Dr Bhumidhar Barman they demanded that only the areas having more than 50 per cent of Rabhas should be kept in the Council area while the other areas should be excluded from it. They further have demanded CBI probe into the recent clash in Lakhipur besides adequate compensation for those injured in the incident. Minister Bharat Narah, West Goalpara MLA Alshah Abdur Rashid Mandal, Dudhnoi MLA Deven Doimary, panchat commissioner, lower Assam commissioner and several other top ranked officials were present in the meeting...
The Nagaland players have arrived in the city on Wednesday to participate in the North East Games as it is all set to begin on January 30. According to information, the inauguration of this games will be marked by the local games of the five north eastern region. Organisers here say the entire regional sports event will be held in six venues altogether. The schedule this time include football, table tennis, badminton, boxing, judo, taekwando, weightlifting, karate and kho kho. The event will conclude on 2nd of February with a function being organised at the Sarusajai Stadium in the evening.
Union minister for information and broadcasting Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi on Tuesday said the freedom of media is an art of democracy but he cautioned the media tribe against any attempts to sell sensation while disseminating news and views for the general public.Addressing a function in Guwahati on the occasion of third anniversary of a vernacular daily Mr Dasmunsi maintained that journalism in the north eastern region has been a challenging task besides being a purely professional one observing that their job is not less than protecting the country.In his address Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi suggested a set of guidelines for the Assam journalists to make the state’s media more vibrant....
The Railway Protection Force jawans have apprehended a boy suspecting him to be involved in the blast that rocked the city’s Bamunimoidam area which left a 15 year old boy injured. According to information, the RPF jawans had to open fire before apprehending him. The boy Liton Das was moving from a coaching classes at the Railway Colony area at around 7:37 pm in the evening while the bomb which was planted near a shop went off. Police and para military troops have cordoned off the area.
NSCN-IM faction has released the two Northeast Frontier Railway officials kidnapped at around 7-30 in the morning on Tuesday from the lower Haflong area. They are Pragjyoti Duarah and Aswini Kumar. According to information, the Naga rebels demanded them cash but released them at around 3-00 in the afternoon. Earlier in the morning, the rebels came to their official residence and lifted them away. Speaking to reporters after being released they say the rebels behaved them decently.