NALBARI, Dec 25 ? The on going operation of the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) against the militant outfits ?with the direct help? of the Indian Army, will make the NE people re-think the issue of sovereignty raised by the militant organisations, said president of the All Assam Students? Union (AASU) Prabin Boro here today. Sri Boro, who was talking to The Assam Tribune, also said that the recent developments in Bhutan had also made it quite relevant for the NE militants to come forward for negotiated solutions to the issues they had raised. For, he said, the militants should honour the sentiments of the people at this crucial juncture.
However, Boro was critical of the role of the Indian Army in the entire development. ? The Indian Army is directly involved in the Bhutan operation against the militants. The Indian Government wanted the operation to satisfy the Hindi lobby. The frequent visits of Union Defence Minister George Fernandes to the NE region nowadays are only meant to monitor the operation?, he said. Though the Indian Government will accrue some short-term gains from this operation, the militant outfits will be reaping permanent gains in the long run. Because, he said, reasoning that the NE people had become sentimental for the developments in Bhutan. They have emotional bonds with the militants, he said.
The Bhutan developments have made the NE people to realise the genuineness of the demand of the militants for sovereignty of the region, Boro said. He also alleged that the Central Government was casual in its approach towards resolving the insurgency problem of the NE region through political discussion. After the handing over of the kin of the ULFA by the Royal Government of Bhutan it is now an established fact that the ULFA is a well organised militant organisation and not a mere pack of extortionists as the Central Government had been trying us to believe, said the AASU president.
While pointing out to the need of the militants? coming forward for talk with the Government, he also said that the Indian Government should now pressurise the Bhutanese Government to suspend its drive against the militants immediately. The AASU will mediate, if the situation so demands, for facilitating the talks between the Government and the militants, he said. ? We are ready to do whatever is needed to restore peace in the region?, he said. But he also maintained that such a role of the AASU might not be required as the Chief Minister himself had a better relation with the ULFA.