The Hindu : National : Patil promises help for move to constitute MPs' forum

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Tuesday, Sep 07, 2004

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National

Patil promises help for move to constitute MPs' forum

By Sushanta Talukdar

SHILLONG, SEPT. 6. The Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, said today that the Centre would provide all help to efforts by Members of Parliament from the northeastern States to form an all-party parliamentary forum to open a dialogue with the insurgent outfits in the region.

Mr. Patil welcomed the suggestion put forward by the Rajya Sabha MP from Assam, Urkhao Gwra Brahma, and the NCP MP from Meghalaya, Robert Kharsing, and said the Centre was always ready to back up efforts by anyone to open a dialogue with the militant groups in the region.

Meeting on security

The suggestion was made at a meeting of northeast MPs convened here today by Mr. Patil to discuss the internal security situation and the development of the region. The all-party parliamentary forum could be modelled on the lines of the parliamentary panel headed by Ram Jethmalani to open talks with the separatist outfits of Kashmir was backed by the other MPs, it was said.

In reply to a question at a press conference later, Mr. Patil clarified that the parliamentary panel headed by Mr. Jethmalani was not constituted by the Government.

Winding up his three-day visit to the region, Mr. Patil underlined the need for an all-party MPs' forum of the northeast to discuss the issues relating to development in the region. He said he would be meet them regularly for better coordination between the people's representatives and the Central and the State Governments.

To a question on Manipur, Mr. Patil said that he had invited for further talks the Apunba Lup, the group of 32 organisations spearheading the ongoing movement for withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, from Manipur.

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