AGARTALA, Feb 27 � Jnanpith award winner Mamoni Raisom Goswami feels it is the right time to push forward the peace dialogue between the State Government and ULFA to usher in a new dawn in Assam.
In the sideline of the North East Oral Languages Women Writers Meet held here recently, the renowned litterateur spoke to this Correspondent on the various issues related to the Northeast region.
On the insurgency in Assam, Goswami asserted that people of the State are frustrated with the massacres of innocent citizen over the years. They want peace to take the front in the State. �It is right time to initiate a fresh move to resume peace talks between ULFA and Assam Government and Paresh Baruah, Commander in Chief, ULFA, must be part of the dialogue�, she said.
She recalled that peace accord with the ULFA was about to be signed in 2007 but it was the Assam Government that turned down the demand of release of some detained cadres.
�About two months back, I had a telephonic conversation with Paresh Baruah. I requested him to start peace talks with the government immediately but the ULFA chief said he is trying to make a delay in the process�, she said.
Goswami viewed that most of the outfits in the North East want more autonomy. �There is no harm of giving more power or autonomy under the framework of the Indian Constitution�, she pointed out.
She said twin problems � unemployment and corruption have emerged as major problems for the North East. �The number of unemployed youth have touched 30 lakh in Assam alone and what they will do keeping in view the lack of industrialisation�, she said.
Gowami said that though the Centre and the NEC have been pumping money into the North East, there is no full-proof mechanism to ensure full utilisation of fund leading to corruption or appeasement in the Northeastern States.
�I will certainly inform Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to set up a full-fledged monitoring system to check corruption in the North East�, she said.
Mamoni also voiced concern over the Bangladeshi infiltration in Assam. �The demographic picture of the entire North East faces challenge following swelling figure of infiltrators from across the border. The international border should be sealed to prevent infiltration�, she said.
Though her name is doing the round for the Nobel prize in literature, the 68-year-old literateur said that Maheshwata Devi deserves first to be awarded with the coveted prize.
