GUWAHATI, June 8 � Talks with militant outfits should be result oriented and there is no point talking without any definite framework. This was the observation made by Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, Rijiju, who visited the State yesterday and reviewed the law-and-order situation at a meeting with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and senior officers, said that talks with militants should end within a definite time-frame and keeping the talks going for years would not serve any purpose.
However, at the same time, Rijiju appealed to all the militants to shun violence and join the mainstream. He pointed out that the militants were causing great harm to the society by killing their own brothers and sisters and assured that the Government would take �good care� of the militants who return to the mainstream.
On the law-and-order situation in Assam, the Union Minister said, �We cannot say that the law-and-order situation has broken down. But in recent times, there has been some deterioration in the situation, which is a cause of serious concern.� He pointed out that as Assam is the heart of the North East, deterioration in the situation in the State would affect the entire region.
Rijiju said the latest activities of the militants and the killing of the Superintendent of Police of Hamren were matters of serious concern. �We felt that I should come down to Guwahati to share our grief with the members of the family of the slain SP and that is why I rushed to Assam,� he added. He said that the police and security forces would have to be more careful as there have been reports of growing activities of militants in some parts of the State.
The Minister said that he had a fruitful discussion with the Chief Minister and senior officials on the law-and-order situation and some short and long-term measures would be taken to deal with the activities of the militants. The Government of India would send reinforcements to the State soon to launch offensives against militants. However, he refused to divulge the number of companies of additional forces to be sent to Assam.
Rijiju, a member of Parliament from Arunachal Pradesh, also asserted that as long as he is in the Home Ministry, all the states of the region would get all help and cooperation from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to deal with the law-and-order situation.
