C'da, > The fallacy in your argument is in assuming that discussing of the demand > for sovereignty with the aim to end the conflict is the same thing as > Assam's secession being a fait accompli.
If that is not a fait accompli, then what you seem to suggest is that 'there is room for negotiation' here. I may be naive here, but all along, I got the impression, that ULFA wanted to only discuss Sovereignty, and how the GOI was going go about making it happen. But if what you say is true, then it stands to reason, that the ULFA is really not hell-bent on sovereignty, and may actually settle for something far less. The GOI on the other hand, obviously cannot offer anything MORE than sovereignty, can they? As long as the GOI offers anything less than sovereignty, they win. The ULFA on the other hand has to show that their demands were met. So, does that seem likely, ie that the ULFA will actually be happy with less? > Negotiations can and should focus on the causes that led to the demand of > independence, and solutions for them. If mutually acceptable alternatives to > independence could be found, and there is absolutely no reason why they > could not be found, then a peaceful end to the conflict could be arrived at. I agree that negotiations should focus of issues leading to this and how the Center to take steps from redressing those. But thats a very far cry from demands of sovereignty. If this is what the ULFA wants in the discussions, then this seems to tell us that, they are really not expecting a 'sovereignty solution' here. It may be some kind of face-saving thing, but they will really settle for something far less. If thats the case, GOI analysts too must have figured this out, and thats why, now they are looking for words to substitute 'sovereignty', and logically, in this political cat & mouse game, everyone is going to try and become winners, and show the world that the GOI got what it expected to give the ULFA, and the ULFA got what it demanded. --Ram On 4/27/05, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Ram: > > > The fallacy in your argument is in assuming that discussing of the demand > for sovereignty with the aim to end the conflict is the same thing as > Assam's secession being a fait accompli. > > > Negotiations can and should focus on the causes that led to the demand of > independence, and solutions for them. If mutually acceptable alternatives to > independence could be found, and there is absolutely no reason why they > could not be found, then a peaceful end to the conflict could be arrived at. > Question is whether the Indian Govt. has the strength of character and the > Indian people political will, to bring an end to these conflicts, in the NE, > in Central India and in Kashmir. > > It is as simple as that. > > c-da > > > > > > > > > > > > > > At 1:58 PM -0500 4/27/05, Ram Sarangapani wrote: > C'da, > > I agree its absurd for the GOI if they are going thru these > convolutions. Whatever the dance & play, ultimately the issue is still > of separation. > > > Not that I am unhappy about the prospect of the Center's convoluted > > efforts to get negotiations going. It is good. > > The GOI is not interested in discussing the issue of sovereignty (and > the ULFA doesn't want to drop it). The GOI very likely cannot do so > because it might be extra -constitutional And there are other > issues/questions: > > a) Does the GOI have the authority to give 'independence' to a state? > Assam is a part & parcel of India, and it has every right to stay > within the union just as Rajastan or UP. So does the GOI have the > constitutional authority? > > IMHO, the GOI has the obligation/duty to protect the borders, keep it > safe from foreign invasions etc. But I seriously doubt if the GOI has > the authority to portion off parts of the country away. Some > constitutional expert will have to weigh in this. > > b) Does the ULFA represent all Assamese? How does a militant force say > that they represent the will of the people of Assam? Do they impose > this will OR is this what the Assamese really want? Who has an answer? > > Lastly, if memory serves correct, one of the big reasons that Indian > Independence took so many years to formalize, was this question of > constutionality. Whether the UK Govt. had the right to grant > independence, as India belonged to the British Empire as opposed to a > 'caretaker' (govt.) of the empire at that time. Some netter could > possibily educate us further on this. > > I am not sure, anywhere in the Indian constitution, there is a provsio > for the GOI to discuss issues of separation from the union with a > group of people. > > I too sincerely hope there is some resolution to this problem whether > its thru discussions, or peace parleys, but I see problems either way > ahead. > > If the GOI accedes to the demands, it will have to forever answer > constitutional questions whether they had the right in the first place > to grant independence. The GOI will also have to answer this question > to the millions of Assamese who may not have wanted independence from > India, but was forced upon them > > If they don't (and the ULFA does not back down from its stand), then > this insurgency will continue into perpetuity. Usually an optimist, I > really don't see the light at the end of the tunnel in this case. > > --Ram > > > > > On 4/27/05, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Heh, heh, heh---:-). > > > > That is a good one Ram. I am with you on this absurdity. > > > > It is nothing to do with PC, but everything to do with painting > > oneself to the corner by deifying a word--Sovereignty. It is all > > about appearances, about make believe. > > > > Not that I am unhappy about the prospect of the Center's convoluted > > efforts to get negotiations going. It is good. But the absurdity of > > the self-imposed impediments is appalling. > > > > > > At 12:29 PM -0500 4/27/05, Ram Sarangapani wrote: > > >If this story is true, what on earth is the GOI up to? It seems > > >theywant a substitute for the word 'sovereignty' with something > > >thatspalatable to both themselves and the ULFA. > > >The GOI should not worrry som much about the word itself as opposed > > >tothe meaning of the term. Simply put, the ULFA wants Assam to > > >beseparate from India, and what part of that is there to parse? > > >**"Once that politically correct substitute is found, the PMO's > > >letterto the Ulfa will follow," said writer Mamoni Raisom Goswami. > > >"And,hopefully, the letter should be ready in the next four to five > > >days,"she added.*** > > >Being PC has never been one of my strong points, so I have a hard > > >timeunderstanding this. > > >-- Ram > > > >http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050427/asp/northeast/story_4664712.asp > > >Delhi in Ulfa talks quandary- Search on for 'sovereignty' substitute > > >A STAFF REPORTER Mamoni Raisom Goswami Guwahati, April 26: The > > >Prime Minister's Office (PMO) is searching fora word or a phrase > > >that would be a politically correct substitute forthe term > > >"sovereignty", which is used by the Ulfa. > > >"Once that politically correct substitute is found, the PMO's > > >letterto the Ulfa will follow," said writer Mamoni Raisom Goswami. > > >"And,hopefully, the letter should be ready in the next four to five > > >days,"she added. > > >In its earlier letter, the Ulfa had made it clear that it would > > >notsit for talks till the government was ready to discuss its demand > > >for"sovereignty of Assam", which has been the core issue in the > > >outfit's25-year-old armed struggle. > > >Goswami, who has been trying to facilitate talks between the > > >outfitand the Centre, said she met national security adviser M.K. > > >Narayananyesterday and impressed upon him the need to expedite the > > >despatch ofthe reply from the PMO to the Ulfa. > > >"The PMO had earlier addressed its reply to the Ulfa's letter to > > >me.This is not acceptable to the boys. So I have asked them that a > > >freshletter be issued in the name of the organisation," she said. > > >"We are trying to find a word or a phrase that can mean > > >sovereignty," she said. > > >The phrase "core issue" could also be an acceptable substitute, > > >shesaid. "Basically, the idea is to ensure that the government is > > >notembarrassed and at the same time the Ulfa is reassured by the > > >languageof the letter that the Centre is willing to even discuss > > >sovereignty,"she said. > > >"I have also told them (the PMO) that unless their reply > > >incorporatesacceptance of the Ulfa's condition, there is no use," > > >Goswami said. > > >On its part, the Centre had stated that it was ready to negotiate > > >withany group provided it abjured violence and the talks were within > > >theambit of the Constitution. This, however, did not impress the > > >Ulfa. > > >Goswami further said she had told the PMO that talks should start > > >assoon as possible. "This is an important time... Elections are > > >alsocoming," she said. > > >Efforts at ending militancy in the state recently saw a group > > >ofsocio-literary bodies led by the Asam Sahitya Sabha appealing to > > >thegovernment and the Ulfa to declare a ceasefire from April 22. > > >However, the Ulfa summarily dismissed the appeal and accused the > > >sabhaof toeing Delhi's line by calling for the ceasefire. > > >Ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa said sabha chief Kanaksen Deka > > >hadfallen into the "trap laid by the colonial rulers of Delhi to > > >crushthe freedom struggle of the people of Assam." > > >On the other hand, the people of Jeraigaon - the native village > > >ofUlfa commander-in-chief Paresh Barua and general secretary Anup > > >Chetia- have invited Goswami and chief minister Tarun Gogoi to their > > >Bihufestivities to give a push to the peace move. > > >"I am definitely going there," Goswami said, adding that it was > > >a"welcome move." > > >_______________________________________________ > > >Assam mailing list > > >[email protected] > > >http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam > > > > > >Mailing list FAQ: > > >http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html > > >To unsubscribe or change options: > > >http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam > > > > > > _______________________________________________ Assam mailing list [email protected] http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam Mailing list FAQ: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html To unsubscribe or change options: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam
