New Delhi, May 8: As Delhi hammers out ceasefire ground rules with the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) in Guwahati this week, it is likely to face harsh accusations against the Tarun Gogoi-led government.
Accusing police of state-sponsored terrorism, the Bodo militant outfit is demanding that the army should take care of law and order.
“Civilians have been killed by the state police. We have no faith in the state government,” senior NDFB leader S. Sanjarang told The Telegraph over phone from Assam.
Given the mood, Delhi is holding its cards close to the chest. “Political talks will be held after we frame the ground rules,” was all that a home ministry source said.
A tripartite suspension of operations agreement was signed between Delhi, Dispur and the NDFB on May 25, 2005, in New Delhi.
Since then, a joint monitoring committee, comprising representatives of the state government, security agency and the NDFB, has been set up.
Sanjarang said the committee had only discussed ground rules so far and no political-level talks had been held.
Delhi had also insisted that the outfit should prepare its charter of demands before any political-level talks could begin. The outfit handed over its charter of demands to home ministry officials here on May 1.
The meeting to be held between a team of home ministry officials and NDFB leaders this week will first hammer out the ground rules.
Once the ground rules are laid down, the NDFB would stand a better chance to have the ban on it under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act revoked.
The meeting in Guwahati is also important because of the NDFB’s equations with the Bodo People’s Progressive Front (BPPF), an ally of the Congress in the state government.
The NDFB is in rivalry with former members of the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), a militant group that was disbanded after its leaders signed a tripartite agreement with Delhi and Dispur. Although the BLT no longer exists, its rivalry with the NDFB continues.
The BPPF was born out of the BLT.
Gunbattles between the two rival Bodo groups continue in several Bodo-dominated districts in Assam and the NDFB accuses BPPF leaders of being “politicians holding guns”.
source:the Telegraph
Accusing police of state-sponsored terrorism, the Bodo militant outfit is demanding that the army should take care of law and order.
“Civilians have been killed by the state police. We have no faith in the state government,” senior NDFB leader S. Sanjarang told The Telegraph over phone from Assam.
Given the mood, Delhi is holding its cards close to the chest. “Political talks will be held after we frame the ground rules,” was all that a home ministry source said.
A tripartite suspension of operations agreement was signed between Delhi, Dispur and the NDFB on May 25, 2005, in New Delhi.
Since then, a joint monitoring committee, comprising representatives of the state government, security agency and the NDFB, has been set up.
Sanjarang said the committee had only discussed ground rules so far and no political-level talks had been held.
Delhi had also insisted that the outfit should prepare its charter of demands before any political-level talks could begin. The outfit handed over its charter of demands to home ministry officials here on May 1.
The meeting to be held between a team of home ministry officials and NDFB leaders this week will first hammer out the ground rules.
Once the ground rules are laid down, the NDFB would stand a better chance to have the ban on it under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act revoked.
The meeting in Guwahati is also important because of the NDFB’s equations with the Bodo People’s Progressive Front (BPPF), an ally of the Congress in the state government.
The NDFB is in rivalry with former members of the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), a militant group that was disbanded after its leaders signed a tripartite agreement with Delhi and Dispur. Although the BLT no longer exists, its rivalry with the NDFB continues.
The BPPF was born out of the BLT.
Gunbattles between the two rival Bodo groups continue in several Bodo-dominated districts in Assam and the NDFB accuses BPPF leaders of being “politicians holding guns”.
source:the Telegraph
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