PCG initiates fresh move on talks

GUWAHATI, Feb 3 – Though the People’s Consultative Group (PCG), formed by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), pulled out of the peace process in June, 2006 after three rounds of meetings alleging “lack of sincerity” on the part of the Government, the group has again initiated fresh move to break the ice to start the process of talks. The members of the PCG met thrice about a month back to discuss the problems arising out of the peace process ending in a deadlock and decided that fresh initiatives should be launched to break the ice to resume the process. Noted litterateur Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami, who took the lead in breaking the ice, also participated in two of the meetings.

One of the PCG members, on condition of anonymity, said that the group informed the ULFA leadership about the fresh initiatives to be launched by it. “The PCG was formed by the ULFA and there is no point doing anything without informing the leadership of the outfit. The PCG started to launch fresh initiative and opened channels of dialogues with the Government of India only after receiving the green signal from the leadership of the ULFA,” he added.

When contacted, coordinator of the PCG, Lachit Bordoloi admitted that the PCG took the decision to open channels of talks with the Government of India again to break the deadlock and asserted that the ULFA leadership was informed of the move. However, he refused to divulge whether the PCG has already started process of talks with the Government of India.

It may be mentioned here that the ULFA formed the PCG in 2005 to hold initial parleys with the Government of India to pave the way for direct talks and the first meeting between the Government of India and the PCG was chaired by the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh. The Prime Minister also assured to discuss all issues concerning the people of Assam, which gave rise to hopes for a peaceful solution to the problem of insurgency. Two more rounds of talks were held between the Government and the PCG, but after the third round, the Group walked out of the process of talks alleging “lack of sincerity by the Government” and the peace process ended on a deadlock.

In the meantime, the Government and the ULFA maintained rigid stand on the issue with the ULFA maintaining that the Government would have to give a formal assurance to discuss “sovereignty of Assam”, while, on its part, the Government also insisted that the top leaders of the militant group including Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and the commander in chief Paresh Baruah must come forward for talks and the outfit would have to come for talks without any pre-condition. The Government also insisted on direct talks with the top leaders of the ULFA instead of talking through mediators.

Meanwhile, the People’s Committee for Peace Initiatives in Assam (PCPIA) is planning to launch a fresh movement to put pressure on the Government to initiate the process of dialogue and to make the people aware of the need for political solution to the problem of insurgency. Bordoloi, who is also the chief coordinator of the PCPIA, said that the movement to put pressure on the Government had to be suspended as some of the member organizations of the Committee were busy with the movements of ethnic groups for the Scheduled Tribes status, while, the recent Panchayat polls also forced the PCPIA to wait for opportune time to launch fresh movement. He said that the PCPIA would meet soon to chalk out future course of action and asserted that it would be forced to launch a fresh movement if the Government fails to initiate the peace process to bring the ULFA to the negotiation table soon.