Some issues to think about. ______________
T he ULFA Chairman, Arabinda Rajkhowa's letter to the US President seeking his intervention in resolving the "Assam-India" conflict is clearly a sign of the measure of desperation into which the militant outfit has fallen into. More than that, it clearly reveals the utter political immaturity of an organization which has been waging war against the Indian State for the last 25 years and more. One expected that all these years of struggle would have added something to the ULFA's ideological basket, but the Chairman's recent statements virtually welcoming the influx from Bangladesh and his appeal to big brother Bush show the utter political bankruptcy of an outfit which promises to liberate the people of Assam from the Indian yoke. On earlier occasions too the ULFA leadership had displayed quite a large measure of political imbecility. For instance, one remembers the ULFA's statements supporting Pakistan during the Kargil war. This was in sharp contrast to the position adopted by the Naga underground under the leadership of the Naga National Council during the Chinese aggression of 1962 when, unofficially, it is said to have suspended its operations against the Government of India. Mr Rajkhowa's letter to the American President shows total lack of understanding of the international situation. He seems to be unaware of the clear shift after September 11 in the US position in relation to movements for self-determination in different parts of the world. The very concepts of self-determination and autonomy have undergone radical change in a US-dominated world where international terrorism is the main target today. While the NSCN(I-M) has done its homework well and has been able to read the changing equations in today's international scene, the ULFA seems stuck on its idea of a sovereign Assam. Unlike the ULFA, the NSCN(I-M) leadership knows what it is talking about, (however unacceptable this may be to the GOI) for they have been honing their skills at negotiations side by side with their armed struggle. For the ULFA, the demand for a sovereign Assam seems to be just a convenient shield to cover up its ideological bankruptcy. The possibility of ULFA-GOI talks has kindled a lot of hope in the minds of the people of Assam who seem to have reached the dead end of violence. But have we ever asked ourselves as to whether the militant outfit is politically equipped for such negotiations with as experienced a side as the Government of India? Over the years, while dealing with different forms of armed conflict ever since it came into existence, the Indian State has acquired a degree of sophistication which would be extremely difficult for militaristic organizations like ULFA to match. Even the NSCN(I-M) which has perfected its political skills so well, is finding the going quite tough in its negotiations with New Delhi. If the recent statements of the ULFA leaders are any indication, then the organization seems least prepared for protracted negotiations. Far removed as they are from the ground realities of the international scene and of developments at home, the ULFA leadership has been attempting to cover its weakness by a show of bravado and arrogance, which is actually a sign of their desperation. Suppose the talks eventually materialize? Apart from its apparently intractable position on sovereignty, what else would the ULFA be prepared to discuss? Or, would the ULFA's agenda for the talks be decided by its mentors in Bangladesh? Or would they ask Mr Bush to help them out? _______________________________________________ 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
