The United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent or ULFA (I), led by Paresh Baruah, is set to sit on the table with the government for talks on a single-point agenda of “sovereignty”. But is it possible for the Center to accept such conditions?
Barua told News18, “We are not against talks with the Government of India (Government of India). We have always been ready for talks on our core issue of ‘sovereignty’.” The ULFA (I) leader was speaking from an undisclosed location.
“The Chief Minister of Assam, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, wants to initiate dialogue with us and we are confident about him. We have already clarified our stand on our position. Now the ball is in their court.
On a positive note, the Assam Chief Minister expressed hope of taking a middle ground between the sovereignty of Assam and India, which would be conducive to initiating talks with the banned insurgent group. Sarma said if the ULFA (I) and the government get a respectable position, talks can start.
“We are in a very strange position. Paresh Barua wants to talk on the issue of sovereignty (of Assam) while I have been sworn in as the Chief Minister to protect the sovereignty of the country. To start talks, either him or her I have to change my stand or I will have to break my oath. Since Paresh Barua is not changing his stand, and if I violate my oath, I will have to step down; we will have to find a middle ground,” the CM said. Said in Guwahati the day before.
“The word is not a slang for us, but serious and we swear that it is our duty to defend our sovereignty and not to give away even an inch of our land. That too has a compulsion. So, on a certain definition We need to reach out to someone who can address our issues.”
The pro-talk faction of ULFA led by Arabinda Rajkhowa and Anup Chetia is ready to sit at the negotiating table with Barua-led ULFA(I), if ULFA agrees. ULFA general secretary Chetia told News18, “We are ready to sit at the same table with Paresh Barua, we have no hesitation. If Paresh Barua agrees then we have no problem in discussing the security and development of the people of Assam.
About the update on talks with the Centre, Chetia said, “We are ready to sign an agreement with the Centre, if two key points are agreed upon. One is political power for the indigenous people of Assam, and the other is a constitutional safeguard for them. The third is the economic rights of the Assamese people. The first two are yet to be agreed upon at the negotiating table. We hope that in a few hours an agreement will be reached with the Center on the issue of economic power.
The 12-point demand charter of ULFA was formally handed over to the Center on August 5, 2011. However, the demands were only of a nature characterized by a broad parameter. These have been omitted from the 37-page charter submitted by ULFA (Pro-Talk) president Aurobinda Rajkhowa to the Pro-Talk group by Senmilito Jatiyo Abhibortan, which set up the meeting between the two sides.
A final agreement is yet to be signed between the Isaac Muivah-led National Socialist Council for Nagalim (NSCN-IM) and the Center on the demand for a separate flag and constitution. On 26 May, the NSCN-IM clearly stated that it would not accept the ‘Naga National Flag’ as a cultural flag as indicated by the Centre.
“It is unimaginable for NSCN to accept the Naga National Flag as the cultural flag indicated by the Government of India. The NSCN-IM, in an editorial in its latest news bulletin Nagalim Voice, said the Naga national flag which symbolizes the Naga political identity, is non-negotiable.
The statement comes against the backdrop of reports from Nagaland that the Center has offered that the Naga national flag can be used for cultural purposes and that the Constitution of India will have some reflection on the Naga Constitution.
The NSCN-IM stated that when the Framework Agreement was signed on August 3, 2015, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi Declaring the solution to the longest-running insurgency movement in Southeast Asia went “historic”. “Today, NSCN is looking at how a single Prime Minister India NSCN and Naga are going to handle the framework agreement with the people for which they took so much pride and credit,” the editorial reads.
Regarding the demand for separate flag and constitution of NSCN-IM, Chetia said, ‘Our demand is not like NSCN-IM, we are not demanding any flag or constitution. We are talking within the limits of the Indian Constitution.”
In 2019, when talks between the Center and the NSCN-IM reportedly reached the final stage, former Commander-in-Chief Fungting Shimrang and some of his accomplices were said to be camping in China and were under the leadership of China. trying to persuade him to help fight for them. The reason for this is against the Government of India.
On Shimrang, recently surrendered ULFA (I) finance secretary Jeevan Moran said, “Shimrang and his accomplices are camping inside Myanmar and there is no conflict between NSCN-IM and Yung Aung-led NSCN-K. Not there. Both the groups understand very well the need of the larger Naga issues.
In 1975, the separatist Naga National Council (NNC) gave up violence and signed the Shillong Accord with the central government. Some NNC leaders rejected this peace treaty, including Isaac Chishi Swu, Thuingleng Muivah and SS Khaplang. These leaders formed the NSCN as a new separatist organization in 1980, which has been described as a separate group from the Naga National Council.
The NSCN started an underground Naga federal government with civil and military wings. Later disagreements emerged within the leaders of the organization on the issue of initiating talks with the Centre.
On April 30, 1988, the NSCN split into two factions: the NSCN-K, led by Khaplang, and the NSCN-IM, led by Isaac Chishi Swu and Thuingleng Muivah. Partition was accompanied by violence and clashes between factions.
In 1997, a ceasefire agreement was reached between the NSCN and the government. Later, the NSCN-K abrogated the ceasefire agreement.
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