The Assam government on Sunday renewed its call to banned Ulfa and NDFB militant outfits to accept the offer for talks to bring an end to the insurgency problem afflicting the state for decades.
Addressing the Independence Day’s state function at Latasil playground, the caretaker CM Bhumidhar Barman said that his government was sincere in its approach to resolve conflict situation through talks and restore peace in the state.
Mr Barman is officiating as chief minister in the absence of Tarun Gogoi, who is recuperating in Mumbai after three heart surgeries earlier this month.
Mr Barman however hoped that outlawed Ulfa and NDFB would respond positively to their offer for talks. Earlier, following the initiative several NGO and social activists hundreds of people came out, defying the shutdown call of the separatist outfit to attend Independence Day celebrations all across the state. Five militant outfits of north-eastern states had called for a 17-hour general strike on Sunday to boycott the Independence Day celebrations. The militant outfits which had called for boycott included Ulfa, NDFB, the Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), fighting for a separate homeland comprising parts of Assam and West Bengal, the Manipur People’s Liberation Front (MPLF) — an umbrella group of several Manipuri rebel groups, and the Tripura People’s Democratic Front (TPDF).
Security sources coordinating the security for all the northeastern states however said that most of the trouble-torn states of the region witnessed a large-turn out of the people in the celebrations. The chief ministers of militancy afflicted Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura also appealed to rebel groups to give up violence and come for peace talks with the government.
Soon after unfurling the national flag, officiating Assam chief minister Dr Barman said, “We are happy to see people rejecting calls by militant groups to boycott the celebrations and coming out in large numbers to attend the national day function.”
Asserting that the overall law and order situation in the state was improving, Dr Barman expressed happiness that Adivasi Cobra Militants, Karbi Longri National Liberation Front (KLNLF), United Peoples Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) and Dima Halam Daoga have come forward for talks and decided to shun violence.
He also appreciated the role of security forces who managed to foil the attempts of militant outfits disrupt the celebrations of the Independence Day. (EOM)