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

Brahmaputra Literary Festival ends today

30 Jan 2017 - 10:38am | Nava Thakuria
The three day Brahmaputra Literary Festival will come to end today, where Assam Governor Banwari Lal Purohit is scheduled to grace the closing ceremony as the chief guest. The function starting at 3...

Budding Bud of Assam

22 Jul 2009 - 5:11am | editor
SA Re Ga Ma Pa Little Champs Little Champs, the largest talent hunt cum reality show for children is back in a new Avtar on Zee TV and is marching towards its peak in TRP. The program is aired every...

SAF: Gogoi takes on Sonowal

26 May 2015 - 12:02pm | AT News
Amid blamegame over the SAF games, chief minister Tarun Gogoi dared union sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal to help him hold the international event in Assam.Addressing the anniversary rally in...

Law and order reviewed

10 Mar 2014 - 1:23pm | AT News
Senior police and civil officials met reviewed the state’s over all law and order situation at a meeting in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls slated for April 7, 12 and 24.Chaired by Chief Secretary...

Other Contents by Author

In a bid to spread peace and social harmony in BTAD areas, a delegation of senior most journalists visited Bilasipara on Friday as a part of the Goodwill Mission. Led Dr Anupam Kumar Roy, the team comprised 15 editors of the local dailies. The team had a meeting with the Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil), Bilasipara JVN Subramanyam who had apprised them of the initiatives of the administration towards restoring peace and normalcy in the Sub-Division. The delegation also enquired about the status of the health care facilities and relief materials being given to them by the administration. While interacting with the camp inmates the delegation told them to return to their places of residence and...
Life in BTAD areas and Dhubri district is rapidly limping back to normal. The last 48 hours are incident-free where curfew has been temporarily lifted from dawn to dusk. Same it is in Tezpur, Howly and Barpeta Road and Aam Bagan where situation improves gradually. Now the focus shifts to rehabilitation of the displaced people.
The Supreme Court has rushed a special team to assess the situation in BTAD areas and Dhubri district on Friday. Consisting of a group special commissioners the team is on a two days visit to Kokrajhar and Chirang districts where they took stock of the relief measures. The team called on Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in the evening in Dispur who appraised the team of the measures to ensure early rehabilitation of the displaced people.
The issue of the crippling bandh calls on Monday and Tuesday reached the Gauhati High Court which on Friday asks for an affidavit from the government. Taking up a public interest litigation filed by Arun Pathak, a division bench of the court fixed September 29 as the date of hearing of the plea. Pathak, in his PIL has demanded Rs 10 crore from Bajrang Dal and AMSU for causing damage to public property during the band calls on August 27 and 28. The PIL assumes significance a day after Dispur threatened to take action against the bandh calls from one month.
Unable to get back to their homes, many of the people displaced by the floods and the conflict in Assam are staying in overcrowded camps with no access to basic amenities like drinking water and sanitation. Unhygienic conditions and lack of electricity has only made their plight worse. Over 4 lakh people in Assam probably never ever imagined that their lives would one day be like this. For over 40 days, children have not attended school, not eaten proper food and have not moved out of the camp area. While flood affected people continue to stay on “platform” (mound of land) as they call it, conflict impacted people have taken shelter in relief camps. Nearly three and half...
The violence-hit people in BTAD areas would be rehabilitated only after proper verification of relevant documents. This was what a group of ministers decided at a meeting in Dispur on Friday. Chaired by senior minister Prithbi Majhi, the meeting decided to end the identification process by September 6.
Tezpur police have arrested on Friday in connection with the violence during the AMSU-sponsored Assam bandh on Tuesday. They were arrested from Bhujchapori area. They include some a few AMSU leaders and panchayat members who turned violent. They were arrested from Bhujchapori area. They include some a few AMSU leaders and panchayat members who turned violent.
Normalcy is back to BTAD areas. There is no report of any untoward incident in these areas during the last 24 hours. Now the focus shifts to rehabilitation of the displaced people. District administrations in Kokrajhar, Chirang, Bagsa and Dhubri are gearing up to send to refugees back from the camps with required assistance for the process.
Despite deteriorating health, Mahendra Das is firm on fast unto death inside the Jorhat Central Jail. Das, whose fate hangs in balance due to an unfinished death sentence, said on Thursday that he won’t relent. Das, on Wednesday night was rushed the hospital following deteriorated health. But was taken back to the jail when his condition improved on Thursday morning. Das, a resident of Jorhat was convicted in a murder case after he beheaded a person 18 years ago and surrendered before police with the head. President confirmed his death sentence but still it mires in controversy.
A special train is scheduled to leave Guwahati for Bangalore on Saturday to carry the north east people who would be back to Karnataka to resume work.Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Thursday, chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that those who left the southern city, mostly, are keen to go back to their job locations. The train, with 14 sleeper class coaches, will leave Guwahati railway station at 1.15 on Saturday.The train service is being started after the Assam and Karnataka governments asked the railways to help thousands of students and workers who had arrived home from Bangalore, Hyderabad and other southern cities following rumours of a backlash over the ethnic clashes in...