Don�t repeat 1991, ULFA warns government
http://www.northeasttribune.com/4255.
NET News Network
Guwahati, June 15: The proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) today warned government not to make the present process to begin a �dialogue� a repetition of 1991.
�In 1991 ULFA agreed to sit for talks for which response the GOI also agreed to release some imprisoned members of ULFA. But the Indian Govt. took the opportunity and killed those members of the organisation soon after releasing them,� alleged the outfit in its latest edition of mouthpiece � Freedom�.
The mouthpiece carried on to accuse the government of trying to create � confusion and suspicion� within the outfit by arresting or killing �devoted, mature and experienced members like Capt. Hirak Jyoti Mahanta, Anirban Hazarika, Deudhai Phukan, Jishnu Sharma, Shankar Saikia etc� during the period.
Though government has been blaming ULFA for the derailment of the process since the last 14 years, the outfit vowed, �But now we have unearthed the whole truth. This will be made public in due course of time, though we are withholding it in the larger interest of the dialogue process�.
Recognising the hopes of �entire indigenous peoples of Assam� to see the Indo-Assam political conflict resolved through dialogue the outfit pointed out, � Dialogue must be the medium for resolving the conflict sincerely and magnanimously, and should not be used as a trap to demolish the leadership of the struggle. This is the only road to lasting peace in this part of the world without shedding blood any more�.
The warning and doubt came on the wake of, �Regular and occasional incidents in operations against ULFA members in Assam, Arunachal, Meghalaya and elsewhere of cold-blooded murder of its members and torture of innocent civilians�.
The full ULFA release is as follows
Activities of Indian army indicates reluctance for dialogue
A general analysis of the activities of Indian Occupation Forces (IOF) reveals that there is no change in their inherited colonial mindset which is not conducive to resolving the Indo-Assam political conflict through dialogue. Regular and occasional incidents in operations against ULFA members in Assam, Arunachal, Meghalaya and elsewhere of cold-blooded murder of its members and torture of innocent civilians have not diminished.
A section of newspapers, a class of political leaders and a brand of intellectuals who shouts their guts out if ULFA explodes a bomb in some area, always remain silent on this matter, the atrocities of the IOF. When the process of beginning a dialogue between ULFA and GOI has already been set in motion, the reinforcement of the IOF in Assam by double the original strength is not conducive to creating a
positive environment for dialogue. This only betrays the real intention of the GOI, that is, the military suppression of our legitimate national liberation struggle.
On our part, it should be put on record that ULFA waived two of the three pre-conditions for dialogue with the GOI. This was a sincere step towards finding a satisfactory solution to the conflict. The only condition we now retain is that dialogue should be on the core issue of restoration of Assam�s sovereignty. However, instead of responding with statesmanship, the GOI resorted to disinformation trying to brand ULFA as a terrorist organisation. They have been blaming ULFA for indiscriminate killing in order to mislead the general
public that ULFA�s response to the offer for �dialogue� by the GOI is ill-intended diplomacy. Instead of pursuing the objective dialogue earnestly, the GOI plotted to destroy the struggle and the leadership of ULFA, which has been ascertained.
Under the circumstances, it must now be revealed that ULFA had a bitter experience of talks with India. In 1991 ULFA agreed to sit for talks for which response the GOI also agreed to release some imprisoned members of ULFA. But the Indian Govt. took the opportunity and killed those members of the organisation soon after releasing them. They either arrested or killed other members and leaders and created confusion and suspicion within ULFA. They killed many devoted, mature and experienced members like Capt. Hirak Jyoti Mahanta, Anirban
Hazarika, Deudhai Phukan, Jishnu Sharma, Shankar Saikia etc. and raped many women and looted many assets. With typical craftiness they took the signatures of ULFA leaders in surrender agreements when they went to Delhi for talks on exchange of prisoners. The ULFA leaders who agreed to hold talks for political solution of Indo-Assam political conflict if the exchange of the prisoners was accomplished, were bound to withdraw from talks. But the GOI made false allegations that Vice-Chairman and General Secretary of the organisation had jumped on their commitment to surrender. This is baseless and a sinister motive to cast a slur upon ULFA leaders. ULFA
have been carrying many fabricated blame for the last 14 years only because of this episode. But now we have unearthed the whole truth. This will be made public in due course of time, though we are withholding it in the larger interest of the dialogue process. Because we know that the entire indigenous peoples of Assam still hopes to see the Indo-Assam political conflict resolved through dialogue. ULFA has no second opinion to this. Peaceful and unarmed process for resolving Indo-Assam political conflict was explored through the long 26 years of armed struggle. The present process to begin a �dialogue� must not be the repetition of 1991. Dialogue must be the medium for
resolving the conflict sincerely and magnanimously, and should not be used as a trap to demolish the leadership of the struggle. This is the only road to lasting peace in this part of the world without shedding blood any more.
