Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
Guwahati, May 25 2010:
Taking a characteristic tough stand Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has urged the insurgents based in the North East region to surrender or else face the music.
"Insurgency has no place.
The insurgents have to surrender or else they will be dealt with firmly," Chidambaram said while talking to media persons in Guwahati today after emerging from a meeting of the Unified Command Structure, which was chaired by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
"The security forces have been asked to implement the policies," he said.
P Chidambaram said there had been a dramatic improvement in the security situation in Assam in the wake of the arrest of the leaders of a number of militant groups such as United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and Dima Halam Daogah (DHD-J) .
Commenting on today's meeting, the Union Home Minister said, "We reviewed the security situation.
We also reviewed the political process like how we can now move forward." He said the issue of resumption of talks with the ULFA is the prerogative of the State Government.
"The Chief Minister will decide the peace process while on our part we will extend necessary assistance," he said.
The ULFA, in particular its elusive military chief Paresh Barua, has been maintaining that the outfit will negotiate only the Centre agrees to discuss the issue of sovereignty.
In the current context, jailed ULFA leaders including Arabinda Rajkhowa and deputy military head Raju Barua will be among those from the outfit who will take part in the talks.
On Tuesday, Chidambaram visited Mizoram prior to his visit to Assam and held a meeting with the state's Chief Minister Lalthanhawla.
"I wanted to visit the Bru villages and also the border to see the fencing work.
But I couldn't go beyond Aizawl owing to inclement weather," the Minister said.
Hundreds of Brus, a tribal community in Mizoram, fled the state last year and took refuge in neighbouring Tripura following a communal violence.
"Two hundred and nine families have returned to Mizoram from Tripura.
We expect more Bru families to return to Mizoram.
The Chief Minister has assured me of the safe return of the Brus," Chidambaram said.
He, however, parried queries on the conflict between Naga insurgent leader Thuingaleng Muivah and Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh stating, "That we didn't discuss (at the meeting in Guwahati on Tuesday".
In fact, he was not ready to take any questions from the reporters.