Govt keen on peace talks with ‘A’, ‘C’ coys By A Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, July 14 – The State Government is keen on starting the process of formal dialogue with the A and C companies of the ULFA’s 28th battalion, which had declared an unconditional ceasefire recently. “The Government is doing the needful at various levels to get the peace process started. Those ULFA cadres declaring ceasefire have been given special privileges and operations stopped against them. Every possible effort is on to carry forward the process of dialogue in a positive manner, including finalization of dates and places for the proposed talks,” Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain revealed this while replying to a question by AGP legislator Keshab Mahanta in the Assembly today.
Asserting that the Government was hopeful of the proposed talks, the minister said that the statement conveying the ceasefire by the A and C companies did not mention any condition.
The minister said that the Government was keen on resolving the issue of militancy through dialogue with different outfits, and in response to the call of the Government, five outfits namely, United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS), Dima Halam Daogah (DHD), National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB), Birsa Commando Force (BCF) and Adivasi Cobra Militants of Assam (ACMA) had so far declared ceasefires and submitted charters of demand.
“The Government is reviewing the militant outfits’ charters of demand through bilateral and trilateral discussions in a phased manner, while the process of formal talks with the outfits is also being expedited,” Hussain revealed.
Hussain said that a total of nine militant outfits were active in the State. These include ULFA, KLNLF, DHD (J), United Liberation Front of Barak Valley (ULFBV), All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA), Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA), Hmar People’s Convention-Democratic (HPC-D), Muslim United Liberation Tigers Front of Assam (MULTA) and Harkat-Ul-Mujahideen (HUM).
Police, paramilitary forces and the Army have since 1991 arrested a total of 18,480 militants belonging to different outfits (till May 31, 2008).
This was revealed by the minister while replying to another question by BJP legislator Sushil Dutta in the Assembly
