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>Negotiations can and should focus on the
causes that led to the demand of independence, and
solutions for them.
First 'causes' is a very subjective issue.
How can someone 'negotiate' on the 'causes'? What is there to negotiate on some
issues which ULFA consider as 'causes' for demand for independence? And may the
world know about these 'causes' for ULFA's demand for independence like we know
about those of Kashmir? Is there any publication by ULFA about these so called
'causes'? If there is that would at least help us to know the issues and would
help GOI to discuss to end the conflicts.
One can only negotiate on the 'demands'
not on the 'causes'. One way to
break the deadlock, therefore, what ULFA can do is to put up a list of alternate
demands which they think would satisfy them short of 'sovereignty.
Because if nothing short of 'sovereignty
would satisfy them, is there any point for ULFA to come for negotiations? I
think GOI may try to lead ULFA to this mode which make sense. If that is so,
ULFA better prepare a good list of demands so that later it should not say,
oops, we missed that one. May be the netters can prepare such a list for ULFA.
(I have such a list in my mind which I may discuss later).
As I said, the whole issue of ULFA defies
logic. One would have to discuss the issue outside normal garden Varity logic,
that is purely on emotions.
Rajen
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2005 3:31
PM
Subject: Re: [Assam] GOI seeking new word
for Sovereignty - Telegraph
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."
>
>_______________________________________________
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mailing list
> >[email protected]
>
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> >
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