ULFA Battalion No. 28 for Assam Talks

By Professor Naorem Sanajaoba *

Mass media in Asom is keen enough to report the truce hastily reached before two days, between the A and C companies of the 28th battalion of the ULFA and interpret in various ways, a possible political negotiation between the 28 Battalion.

The PCG appears to be divided and hell bent to blame the government of India for duplicity and dishonesty. The hopes and aspirations could be mixed, however a durable and just peace could be evasive as ever.

A couple of editors in Guwahati walking on religious fanaticism see every movement in terms of one's imagined religious nationalism and they donot stop blaming the suffering people or nations.

A fair assessement of the event could be assumed in the following paradigms.

1. Political talks for such high voltage issues could be held between the parent organisation only and the the GOI,not between a battalion leader and the government. The ULFA may undergo split and fratricide of no mean ramifications. Peace could be elusive.

2. The electoral consideration of a party or another would not pave way for resolution of deep issues.The PCG and the government are yet to prepare frameworks for negotiation.

Before the IRA-UK talks took off in April, 1998 , two frameworks of negotiation had been worked out and a strong power reamained the peace guarantor. The NSCN-GOI talk missed the basic requirement of the basic frameworks.

The result is the intra NSCN skirmished as every one witnesses now. The SriLanka talk facilatator too lost his space.

3. When the NSCN agreed to come to the table, the GOI did not deter the body to talk on sovereignty of Nagaland. Later on much water had flowed down the Doyan-Dhanshri river. A flawed talk colud be worse than a flawed marriage of convenience.

4. To be more realistic, of the three companies of the 28 B, the B company which does not come to truce is stronger reportedly than the A and C companies. Besides, the ULFA top leaders delegitimised the truce process reached between a battalion of the ULFA and the government.

5. Permanent, durable and just peace might be imagined as and when the most effective bodies are prepared to navigate a course that would leave the marks of conflict resolution. The GOI would harbour no inhibition whatever to work out frameworks for negotiation on the main issues - the cause of centrality of the armed conflicts.

If the rest of the world could resolve similar issues, what prevents the GOI to imagine a lasting solution is enigmatic.

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• ULFA splits, 28 Bn for truce :: TSE News 25th June 2008