PRIME Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has issued another call to the underground forces active in the North-East to shun the path of violence and redress their grievances through discussion.

Quite significantly, the Prime Minister renewed his appeal for peace at a rally in Assam, where the ULFA and the NDFB are constantly refusing to enter in any kind of talks with the Centre. While the NDFB is continuing its subversive activities, even attacking the places of worships, the ULFA is demanding that any talks with the Centre should discuss the issue of sovereignty in presence of a UN observer in a third country. All these conditions came in response to Centre’s offer for a dialogue with any pre-condition.

This was not the first time that the Prime Minister has issued such call to the militants. Ever since, he became the Prime Minister Mr. Vajpayee always stressed more on the need of a negotiated settlement than on a military solution. Moreover, Mr. Vajpayee was not the first Prime Minister to urge the militants to join the mainstream. All his predecessors also issued similar appeals to the underground forces active in the region. But it’s a pity that the underground forces, more often than not, preferred to rely more on their gun power, than coming for talks.

In their defence, the underground organisations used every possible reason to vindicate their stand. Most prominent among them was the allegation of  the insurgent outfits that the Government of India was not sincere in solving the issues through negotiations. But after the success of the ongoing peace process in Nagaland, where both the factions of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) have at present entered in a ceasefire agreement with the Centre, and the creation of Bodo Territorial Council (BTC) as per the demand of the Bodos, make all such allegations of Centre’s insincerity baseless. It proves the fact that the Government of India is willing to redress the genuine grievances of the people of the North-East.

Another allegation, which is frequently made against the Centre that it had done nothing for removing the backwardness of the region. There is no denying that the North-East lags behind the mainland states in terms of development and special attention should be given for speedy economic upliftment of the region. But at the same time is it not a fact that to ensure economic development of the region former prime minister H. D. Deve Gowda announced a package of over 6000 crore? Is it not a fact that a special non-lapsable fund has been created to ensure that development process in the region does not suffer due to lack of funds? Is it also not a fact that a separate ministry for the development of the North-East has recently been created to expedite the development process?

While making such allegations, the underground outfits wilfully forget the fact that to meet the tribal aspirations Tripura Accord was signed. They do not talk about Mizo Accord too. But the fact remains that the accord has been successfully implemented and today Mizoram is the most peaceful State in the entire region. It is time to take a look what the underground forces did to keep their promises or to help bring back peace in the region. In presence of the then prime minister five ULFA leaders gave a written assurance in 1992, that the organisation would leave the path of violence and seek the redressal of their grievances through negotiations. But with passing of time, they changed their mind and did not show enough willingness to talk.

On the other hand the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) is constantly trying to derail the peace talks between the Centre and the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) by indulging in subversive activities against the wishes of majority Bodo people. While talks are on to find an amicable solution to the vexed Naga problem, both the factions of NSCN are engaged in fratricidal killings, which vitiates the conducive atmosphere in Nagaland which was possible after decades of unrest. Similar is the situation in Tripura. Fratricidal killings are on the rise in the State. In Imphal valley, the insurgents are always in favour of a puppet goverment instead of a democratically elected government thus bringing instability in the State.

The list does not end here. Poor Sunita Ghosh, wife of the abducted social worker Sanjay Ghosh, was misled about her husband’s safety by none other than Paresh Barua, ULFA commander-in-chief. In Tripura, even for handing over the skeletons of the dead, the insurgents demand money from the relatives. Moreover, the ULFA militants are mearcilessly killing those who defied the diktats of their leaders to join the mainstream. As a matter of fact, the outlawed organisation even launched a rocket attack on an apartment in Guwahati, where some of the surrendered militants lived. The NSCN (IM) had also been severe on those who surrendered before the authorities.

Examine the track record of the  Issac-Muivah faction of the NSCN, the organisation which is never tired of accusing the Centre for its so-called lack of sincerity towards the region. The organisation entered in a ceasefire agreement with the Centre in 1997. Since then, the banned organisation on number of occasions threatened to walk out of the ceasefire agreement on one pretext or another. But on all such occasions, the grounds were such flimsy that in the end the NSCN (IM) had to eat its words. Take the recent Chandel Deputy Commissioner (DC) abduction case. Showing no regards to the law of the land, the NSCN (IM) cadres were carrying arms to attend a function to celebrate the foundation day of the organisation. When the security forces prevented them from carrying arms openly against the law, its cadres opened fire on the security forces. In exchange of fire, couple of NSCN (IM) activists died. It was a very unfortunate incident. The ongoing peace process was about to be derailed because of this incident. But instead of defusing the tensions and saving the ongoing peace process at any cost, the NSCN (IM) abducted the Chandel district DC and categorically stated that the DC was abducted to teach the security forces a lesson. It was heartening that the local Nagas prevailed upon the NSCN (IM) leadership and managed to secure the release of the abducted DC.

Earlier, the NSCN (IM) raised a hue and cry when because of important domestic engagements Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee could not meet the NSCN (IM) leaders. While trying to score a point over Government of India, the NSCN (IM) deliberately forgot that as the External Affairs Minister in Morarji Desai cabinet, Mr. Vajpayee met A. Z. Phizo in London and tried to initiate a peace process. It is time now for the underground outfits active in the North-East region to do some introspection and soul searching. It is time now for them to decide whether they persist with violent activities or sit for talks with the Centre for an amicable settlement of their grievances. It is also time for them to see what they have achieved through years of violence.

While the Centre is making all efforts to remove the backwardness of the region, the underground forces should also shun the path of violence. International flights have started operating from the North-East. Meghalaya will be connected  with the rest of the country by air soon. Proposed Bogibeel bridge will reduce the travel time within North-East. All these are positive steps towards development. It is   time now for the insurgent outfits to do their best through non-violent means. Only then the North-East region can prosper. Hopefully,        the latest call given by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will find favour with militant organisations.

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