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In Assam, the guns open up again

Sushanta Talukdar

There is renewed pressure on both sides to return to the negotiating table.

RENEWED OFFENSIVE: Villagers watch an army vehicle move in their village to conduct operations against ULFA militants in Tinsukia district of Assam on Tuesday. — PHOTO: RITU RAJ KONWAR

AFTER A brief lull, the guns have begun to boom in Assam. The Centre has resumed the counter-insurgency operations against the United Liberation Front of Asom that it unilaterally suspended on the eve of Independence Day. The Army was told to resume operations with effect from September 24 as the outfit had refused to send a communiqué expressing a desire to hold direct talks and its cadres "continued to indulge in violence and extortion."

The Centre's decision was reportedly hastened by the killing of a tea estate manager and police personnel in Tinsukia district by ULFA militants and reports of the outfit having served extortion notices on large tea estates.

Additional Army troops have been deployed in different parts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to target possible ULFA hideouts. The first two days saw two ULFA militants being killed and some arms and ammunition recovered. Three Army personnel were injured in two separate encounters with ULFA cadres in Tinsukia district.

The ULFA reaction has been sharp. Its chairman, Arabinda Rajkhowa, has alleged that the Government by showing "false interest in talks, managed to hold Assembly elections and again by staging a drama of suspending operations ensured the celebration of Independence Day."

The initiative to end the conflict had hit a roadblock over the release of five jailed ULFA leaders, including vice-chairman Pradip Gogoi, who are currently lodged in Guwahati jail. The Centre on June 22, during the third round of discussion with the ULFA-appointed People's Consultative Group (PCG), promised to "favourably consider the release of the five ULFA leaders in consultation with the State Government." However, when the PCG urged the Centre to honour its commitment and release the jailed leaders to facilitate direct talks, New Delhi insisted that the outfit first send a communiqué expressing its willingness for direct talks. The ULFA refused and claimed that New Delhi had not mentioned any such condition during its discussion with the PCG. The outfit reiterated that the leaders' release was essential for a meeting of the central executive committee to decide on the offer of talks.

With the ghost of a failed initiative of 1991 looming large, the Centre continued to dither on the leaders' release and kept insisting on a letter from the outfit. The Army and intelligence agencies too opposed the ULFA leaders' release without a formal commitment from the outfit for peace talks. The ULFA viewed this as a ploy to create a rift in the organisation. Its chairman is reported to have said that a letter sent by a leader without the sanction of the central executive committee was bound to create a rift in the outfit. Now, the Assam Government has indicated it could provide safe passage to ULFA chief Paresh Baruah and chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa for holding consultations with the five jailed leaders. On the other hand, the resumed counter-insurgency operations under the three-tier Unified Command structure is sure to prompt an ULFA retaliation. The outfit hopes to gain from the fresh developments as the government may find it difficult to convince the people about the justification in withdrawing the truce.

Though the ULFA did not commit itself to hold fire in response to the unilateral truce declared by the Centre, it promised to "try and respect the goodwill gesture" by the Centre. The security forces are likely to strike in all ULFA strongholds to create pressure on the outfit. However, with Myanmar and Bangladesh continuing to be safe havens for ULFA and other northeast insurgent groups, the impact of resumed Army operations in Assam and neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh may be limited to the two States. Retaliatory strikes by the ULFA, on the other hand, would make the soft targets vulnerable once again.

The atmosphere of peace during the one-sided truce, though short-lived, raised hopes for peace among the people. Opposition political parties have dubbed the resumption of army operations unfortunate and demanded an extension of the truce. Public pressure is likely to mount on both the sides to hold fire once again and give peace another chance in Assam.

This may mean a greater role for the two mediators — noted writer Indira Goswami and Rebati Phukan, a former footballer and childhood friend of ULFA chief Paresh Baruah — to bring both the sides to the negotiation table. New Delhi has, however, not completely shut the door on negotiations and has stated that "efforts for pursuing the peace process by the Government will continue."

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