GUWAHATI, Oct 17 ? Participants at a conference organised by the Centre for Development and Peace Studies (CDPS) have called upon the Assam Government to offer unilateral cease-fire to the outlawed ULFA to create a congenial atmosphere for talks. They also called upon the Centre to appoint an interlocutor to facilitate talks.
The round table conference was chaired by CDPS president TL Baruah, IAS (retd) and moderated by its director, Wasbir Hussain, a senior journalist. The speakers and participants included APCC president Bhubaneswar Kalita, AGP general secretary and MLA Hitendra Nath Goswami, AASU adviser, Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya, AJYCP chief adviser Dilip Patgiri, actor Pranjal Saikia, former ULFA publicity secretary Sunil Nath, senior journalist Prashanta Rajguru, former chief secretary HN Das, Gauhati University lecturer Noni Gopal Mahanta, executive editor of The Assam Tribune, PJ Baruah and others, said a CDPS release.
Dr Bhattacharya said the Assam Government must break the deadlock by offering a unilateral ceasefire of the ULFA, at least for 100 hours on an experimental basis. Sri TL Baruah, supported the call for a unilateral truce with the ULFA and said during his presidential remarks that the Centre should take certain bold steps like appointing an interlocutor to open a peace process with the ULFA.
Sunil Nath said that the status quo on the ULFA issue is a problem that needs to be solved. He said for some of the ULFA members, status quo is a preferred position. He said if the government is talking of unconditional talks, then it should be ready to hear out the ULFA?s arguments.
Most of the speakers said vesting maximum autonomy, particularly economic independence, and dual citizenship to the people of Assam could be an acceptable solution as and when the ULFA and the government sit for peace talks and reach a stage for arriving at an agreement. Noni Gopal Mahanta (GU) cautioned that more powers given to the State must reach the people at the grassroots.
Actor Pranjal Saikia stressed the need for seeking the opinion and verdict of the people before attempting a solution. He called upon the media to play a positive role in ushering in peace in the State, the release added.