DIBRUGARH, May 4 � All Assam Tribal Sangha (AATS) has said that the chief of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) Ranjan Daimary should be treated in the manner the arrested ULFA leaders are being treated.
�Ranjan Daimary should be considered as sangrami and not as international terrorist. He is the chief of an organisation which has has been fighting for over 25 years for the cause of the Bodo community,� Aditya Khakhlari, general secretary of the Tribal Sangha said during a press conference held here. Khakhlari said that the police was trying to slap all kinds of cases to project Ranjan Daimary as a dreaded criminal.
�We do not object to the arrest or to the impending legal action against the NDFB chief but we do condemn the partiality shown on the part of the police and state government while dealing with ULFA leaders like Arabinda Rajkhowa and recently arrested Daimary,� the Tribal Sangha leader said. He further said that state government should initiate dailogue and negotiation with the NDFB to solve the problems of Bodoland. Mere imprisoning the chief of NDFB will not bring solution to the problems, Khaklari said.
Referring to the reports that lawyers would shy away from fighting for Daimary, the Tribal Sangha leader said any citizen of the country, whether criminal or innocent is equal before the law. He said that lawyers should opt to fight for criminals as well as the innocent.
