NEW DELHI, Nov 10 � Lambasting the administration for its failure to check illegal migration from Bangladesh, chairman of the pro-talk faction of ULFA Arabinda Rajkhowa said that they were committed to fight jihadi forces that have reared their heads in Assam.
Rajkhowa was talking to newsmen on the sidelines of a seminar �Insurgency to Resurgence as part of the �North East Festival�, organised by Trend MMS, in association with the North East Community of Delhi, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of DoNER and IGNCA.
The seminar, attended by editor and author Shekhar Gupta, Wasbir Hussain and Dilip Nunisa among others, was moderated by Noni Gopal Mahanta.
Later, during an interaction with the audience, Rajkhowa, when asked about the ULFA�s involvement in the infamous Dhemaji bombing incident, tried to shift the blame to the district administration. Mentioning that they had already apologised to the people, Rajkhowa said the role of the administration has never come to light. He blamed the administration for its lapse to protect the school children.
The administration had prior information that ULFA had boycotted the Independence Day celebrations, yet no security measures befitting the occasion were taken, he added.
When asked about the growing jihadi activities, Rajkhowa said that such activities cannot be allowed. �The people of Assam will never tolerate such activities. And we will also never allow the situation to be communalised,� he said.
�sked about the fate of the ongoing talks with the Government of India, Rajkhowa said the dialogue was at its last leg and in a crucial stage. �We cannot say that we are dissatisfied until and unless we find that the Government of India is not serious. So we have no reasons to complain,� he said.
However, about the release of Anup Chetia, Rajkhowa said they were not happy. �Release of Chetia was our number one demand and we wanted him to join the peace process at the earliest. But now we are at the last stage and Chetia�s involvement with the process would have been helpful,� he said.
Earlier, Shekhar Gupta said that for the next five years at least the word insurgency should be banished from all discussion on the North-east. The word insurgency has become a curse for the North-east, he opined.
Stating that more incidents of violence are witnessed in UP, he said that comparatively there are lesser numbers of violent incidents in the North-east. �There are more weapons in circulation in UP than in the North-east. Today, there is no insurgency in the North Eastern Region,� he claimed.
