GUWAHATI, Nov 9 ? Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today told a delegation of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) that the State Government would consider declaration of a unilateral ceasefire on experimental basis to create a congenial atmosphere for talks with the insurgents only after receiving a positive indication from the militants.
A delegation of the AJYCP today held talks with the Chief Minister on the issue of talks with the militants and formally handed over the resolutions adopted in the Jatiya Mahasabha organised by the organisation on September 20 and 21 to create a congenial atmosphere for talks with the insurgents.
AJYCP general secretary Dilip Sankar Saikia told this correspondent after the meeting with the Chief Minister that they had demanded a unilateral ceasefire from the Government for a period of one month on experimental basis to create the right atmosphere for talks with the insurgents.
The Chief Minister, on his part, told the delegation that the Government is ready for talks with all the insurgent groups including the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). The Chief Minister also said that the militants must come forward for talks to respect the sentiments of the people of Assam. He also did not rule out the possibility of declaration of a unilateral ceasefire but at the same time, he maintained that for that the situation in the State must improve and ?the Government must receive some kind of positive indication from the militants.?
It may be mentioned here that the Jatiya Mahasabha, organised by the AJYCP called upon the Government to initiate talks with the ULFA and the other militant groups on the basis of the demands of the outfits. The Mahasabha called upon the Government to suspend counter-insurgency operations to create a congenial atmosphere for talks and at the same time, the militant groups were requested to reign in their arms activities.
The AJYCP general secretary said that they have sought an appointment with Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh to apprise him of the decisions of the Mahasabha. He said that they have already held talks with the State Congress president and the president of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) to request them to play a positive role to bring the militants to the negotiation table for a political solution of the problem of insurgency.
Saikia said that they also submitted the resolutions of the Mahasabha to noted litterateur Dr Mamoni Raison Goswami, who has taken the initiative to bring the ULFA to the negotiation table so that she can include the same in the draft proposal prepared by her for talks with the ULFA. He welcomed the initiative of the litterateur and said, ?on our part, we shall extend all necessary help to anyone who comes forward to bring the insurgents to the negotiation table.?
The AJYCP also appealed to the ULFA to suspend its acts of violence to test the sincerity of the Government on the issue of talks, as the people of Assam want a political solution to the problem of insurgency.