The home ministry is set to sign the final memorandum of settlement with rebels of United People’s Democratic Solidarity to bring an end to decades old hostility in Karbi Anglong district of Assam.
Disclosing that ongoing peace talks with the UPDS rebels since 2002 has reached its final stage, the joint secretary (Northeast) in the ministry of home affairs, Shambhu Singh told this newspaper that the home ministry and state government have agreed to delegate more power to the district council in order to fulfil the demand of UPDS rebels.
Informing that other rebel groups of the district, the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KNLF), which surrendered arms to join the peace process in February 2010, has also been asked to join the peace agreement to settle issues, Mr Singh said, “Home ministry has also decided to expedite the ongoing peace talks with insurgent groups which entered into an agreement with the government to suspend the operations.”
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‘Spat over ship not to affect talks’
New Delhi, June 19: India does not see the diplomatic row with Pakistan over taking freed cargo ship MV Suez to safety having an impact on their foreign secretary-level talks in Islamabad this week, government sources said on Sunday.
The two countries were locked in a nasty spat on Saturday and lodged protests against each other over their naval warships allegedly resorting to “risky” and “dangerous” manoeuvres after the hijacked Egyptian-owned merchant vessel was freed by Somali pirates.
The sources while discounting the possibility of the war of words having a fallout on the talks on June 24-25 also said India is a “more grown up country”.
The remark came when the sources was asked why India lodged its formal protest a day after Pakistan did so over the alleged incident on Thursday involving INS Godavari and PNS Babur. Six Indians and four Pakistanis were among the 22-member crew. Pakistan alleged that INS Godavari had carried out a “dangerous” manoeuvre. —PTI