The Sanmilta Jatiya Abhibartan (SJA), an umbrella body of civil society organisations of Assam, on Saturday formally handed over a charter of demands to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). SJA Chief Spokesman Hiren Gohain handed over the charter to ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa in the presence of top leaders of both the organisations here. The outfit will now discuss the charter threadbare before submitting its own demand charter to the Centre. The SJA charter demands Constitutional amendments to give the State of Assam (as thereby its peoples) greater control over its own future through strengthening the State's power to control the revenues generated here, the natural resources, and the planning process and ensure a secure demographic situation as well as accelerated and balanced development.
“If the government of India and the ULFA honour the Charter in letter and spirit and do not undersell it, we may look forward to untroubled peace, true development, and vigorous growth of democracy in the region,” stated the SJA Steering Committee Chief Spokesman, Hiren Gohain, in a press note at a joint press conference of the SJA and the ULFA.
The Charter of demands in several parts dealing with different aspects of the fundamental problem faced by the indigenous peoples was prepared by the expert committees formed by the SJA and further carefully vetted by a core group of the SJA and other experts not involved with framing of various parts of the Charter.
The SJA noted that the present calm does not by any means portend the return of peace. “The ULFA found public support in Assam in the first phase of their armed struggle because under the Indian state the legitimate hopes and aspirations of the indigenous people were not only not fulfilled since independence, but they were aggravated by certain deliberate policies of the Centre that took advantage of their weak socio-economic basis. Instead of making adequate and well-conceived investments to rescue Assam from colonial stagnation and backwardness, her natural resources were ruthlessly exploited with little benefit for the indigenous peoples. Every step in its industrial development was brought about by mass agitations that forced the Centre's hand. Further, a callous attitude of indifference towards massive unchecked immigration threatened the independent existence of the identity of the indigenous peoples. All such struggles were eventually brought to an end with deceptive and insignificant awards and concessions by the Centre. Hence desperate sections of the youth harassed by unemployment, economic stagnation in which unscrupulous businessmen alone thrived and massive political corruption and misrule prevailed, took to arms to wage a war against the Indian State. But it ended in a bloody stalemate that spelt more misery for the indigenous people and an even greater spurt in authoritarianism of the Centre,” the SJA statement added.
The SJA held its convention in April 2010 and offered to facilitate the resumption of steps towards a dialogue between the Centre and the ULFA for a peaceful resolution of the conflict provided the top jailed ULFA leaders agreed to the terms set by the SJA for talks with the Centre. “The idea was to prepare with expert help a charter of demands that will gain for indigenous peoples sufficient economic and financial resources and political and Constitutional powers to chalk out an independent path of development for themselves within the Indian Union,” stated the SJA press note.
The ULFA Chairman told journalists that the outfit would press for a time-bound dialogue with the Centre and would not like the talk process to drag on for a long period. The next and substantive round of talks between the ULFA and the Centre is expected to be held in June after the installation of a new government in the State.
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