PEACE IN NORTH-EAST?: Tripartite agreement signed with ULFA!

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With Due Acknowledgement To:  Special Correspondent, The Hindu / NEW DELHI, September 3, 2011.

ULFA leaders Arabinda Rajkhowa and Shashadhar Choudhary at the North Block in New Delhi, in February this year. Mr. Choudhary has said the agreement with the government is not final. File photo - The Hindu.

It will pave the way for putting an end to violence in Assam.

In the first step towards finding ways for ushering in permanent peace in Assam, a tripartite agreement for Suspension of Operations (SoO) was signed here on Saturday among the Centre, the Assam government and the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).

The Union government was represented by the Joint Secretary (North East), Home Ministry and the Assam government by the Home Commissioner. Shahdhar Chaudhuri, Chtraban Hazarika and Raju Barua, three key ULFA functionaries represented the organisation, an official release said.

The ULFA had earlier agreed to abjure violence and find a solution to the problems as perceived by the outfit through peaceful negotiations with the Union government and the Assam government.

The agreement would pave the way for putting an end to violence in the North-Eastern State and clear the decks for initiating the process of holding peace talks with the banned insurgent group. Both the ULFA and the security forces, according to the pact, will not carry out operations against each other.

“We had a very good round of talks. The agreement was signed. The first round spells out the road to political dialogue. It is the harbinger of future talks,”Joint Secretary (North East) in the Home Ministry Shambhu Singh told journalists here. The pact will continue during the political talks and till a final agreement is signed.

The meeting deliberated in detail on various aspects of the ground rules of the SoO and how to maintain peace in Assam. Members of the rebel group — numbering around 600 — will be put in special camps which will be called “nabanirman kendras.”

Asked whether the ULFA cadres would surrender all arms and ammunition, the outfit's self-styled ‘foreign secretary' Sashadhar Choudhury said, “why should we? This is not a final agreement. This is a gentleman's agreement. We will see how the parleys go forward,” Mr. Choudhury said.

Last month, the ULFA submitted to the Centre its charter of demands which sought amendment in the Constitution for finding “meaningful” ways to protect the rights and identity of the indigenous people of Assam.

The ULFA's other demands include discussion on grounds for its struggle, status report on missing ULFA leaders and cadres (numbering around 50) and other socio-economic issues.

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ULFA submits list of demands to PC!

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August 6, 2011 / Correspondent, New Delhi / DC.

Initiating the first formal peace negotiations between the Centre and the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom, the leaders of the banned outfit, led by its chairman, Arabinda Rajkhowa, met Union home minister P. Chidambaram on Friday and submitted a 12-point charter of demands,

including one to amend the Constitution, for finding “meaningful” ways to protect the rights and identity of the indigenous people of Assam. The outfit, however, remained evasive on its core demand of “sovereignty”.

The 40-minute meeting with Mr Chidambaram was also attended by Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, apart from six other top leaders of the group. It was decided in the meeting that a formal suspension of operations agreement will be signed between the government and Ulf in Guwahati shortly.

After submitting their charter of demands, termed “The Framework of Charter for Negotiation to Resolve the Issues Between Assam and India”, the ULFA leadership said the government has to change the rules and laws as a solution is not possible under the provisions of the existing Constitution.

“We demand constitutional and political arrangements and reforms, including protection of the identity and material resources of the indigenous population of Assam,” Arabinda Rajkhowa said. Speaking at a press conference, ULFA “foreign secretary” Shashadhar Choudhury said, “The Constitution has to be changed.”

Full Story at,

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/north/ulfa-submits-list-demands-pc-715

ASSAM SECESSIONISTS: ULFA anti-talk faction rejects ceasefire!

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pti / tHE hINDU / GUWAHATI, July 13, 2011.

Paresh Barua - PTI.

Paresh Barua, heading the ULFA’s anti-talk faction, on Wednesday rejected the unilateral ceasefire declared by Arabindo Rajkhowa-led group.

“The ceasefire declared by Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa is against the ULFA’s constititution and we refuse to accept it,” Mr. Barua said in an email to PTI.

Citing the ULFA “constitution”, he said no member who had been jailed or was in the custody of ‘enemy camp’ could take any decision on the ULFA’s behalf.

He pointed out that the chairman and some senior members were currently out of jail on bail.

“A ceasefire is declared by soldiers who are at war and not by people who are in the enemy camp. Therefore, the declaration of unilateral ceasefire by the Chairman is unconstitutional as he and the others have no right to take any decision on behalf of the outfit,” Mr. Barua said.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2224076.ece

TERROR: Narrow escape for 1,000 train passengers in Assam!

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• June 17, 2011 
• IANS 
• GUWAHATI / D.C..

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• A train carrying around 1,000 passengers had a miraculous escape on Friday with security forces detecting a powerful bomb found inside the train at the Guwahati railway station in Assam, police said.
  The bomb, kept in a steel container and concealed inside a bag, was fitted with a time device inside coach S5 of the Kanchengunja Express. It was detected by security forces during a routine check just when the train from Bangalore arrived in Guwahati around 5.15 am.
  "Security forces were conducting a routine search when they found an unattended small but heavy bag and on suspicion they checked and detected the bomb neatly concealed," a senior police officer said.

Only mentally deranged people can indulge in such mindless mass murder plans!

Full Story at,

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/northeast/narrow-escape-1000-train-passengers-assam-924